Mind the Tide
by MisticLight
Summary: Past actions and old friends come back to haunt Evelyn as she's thrust into yet another adventure, and this time there's no telling what will happen. Sequel to "A Dangerous Love". Will Turner/OC. COMPLETE. Has preceding and proceeding installments.
1. I'm Just Evelyn

I looked in the mirror, and for once, smiled back at what I saw. I was wearing the most beautiful white dress. It was actually the best and most expensive dress I've ever owned. I twirled around the room, letting the skirt of the dress fly around my bare feet. I was twirling to the beat of the raindrops hitting the window. I love the rain, but I don't think today was the best day for my beloved rain to come. It was one of the most important days in my life.

Behind me, the door opened "Evelyn, it's-…. what are you doing?" The man chuckled.

I stopped my twirling and giggled. "Will! You're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding."

Will picked my shoes off of the ground and let them dangle in his hand. "Well it's a good thing you're not the bride then."

"I wouldn't want to be the bride…. because then I would have to marry you." I smirked and continued my twirling. I let my joke become a quiet desire in my mind. Will and I are just friends.

"Well aren't you funny." As I spun, I could see the small images of Will walking towards me. "Do you plan to go to my wedding without any shoes on?"

I stopped spinning and let the world catch up to me. "I was." I snatched the shoes from Will "Until you came along." I sat on a chair to put on my stockings and shoes. "Thanks for allowing me to get ready in the Blacksmiths Shop."

"It's no trouble at all." Will smiled—one of his warm, friendly ones. Will looked out the window and frowned. He wasn't very enthusiastic about the rain either.

My left shoe was now on. I stomped it on the ground to make sure the heel was properly on my foot. "Are you nervous?"

Will, hands clasped behind his back, looked down at his feet then looked back at me. "Who wouldn't be?"

I chuckled. "I guess you're right." I put my right stocking on, but I kept the shoe in my lap. I stared at the shoe. "You must really love her." I meant it. If you just look at Elizabeth and Will, you can see they were meant for each other. I'm not Elizabeth. I'm just Evelyn.

I looked up at Will and put on a smile. I didn't want him to think I had any regrets. Truth is, I'm happy their getting married. My best friend and my somewhat friend are going to unite in holy matrimony. I couldn't be happier…. I think.

Will shifted. He looked more nervous, and I don't think this was because of the wedding. "Evelyn, you need to know that-" The door fell on the floor while a dozen navy men flooded into the tiny room.

They quickly grabbed my upper arms and hoisted my off the chair. My right shoes rolled off my lap and tumbled on the ground. "What's the meaning of this?" I looked over at Will for help, but he had his own problems. The royal navy had Will at gunpoint and started to handcuff him. I looked back at my captors "What's going on? As a citizen of Port Royal, I demand to know why you're handcuffing this man." One of the soldiers in front of me pulled out manacles, probably mine "And me." I squeaked. Soon I was held at gunpoint. I could feel the color rush from my face. What did I do?

Will, seeing the guns pointed at me, turned red. "What's happening?" He looked at every soldier around him "Someone, please get the guns off the girl!" Will nodded towards me.

"Sorry, sir." The soldier on my left mumbled "Orders."

"Belay those orders! Can't you see you've scared her half to death?" Will advanced towards the soldier, and the others followed by cocking back their guns. At the pull of the trigger, Will could die.

"No, I-I'm fine." I managed to say. I really don't want him to kill himself. Will stared at me. "Really. I'm fine."

Will sighed. "Will you at least let her put her shoe on? Or do your 'orders' say she has to walk around with only one shoe."

The soldier who spoke before looked at the man standing by the door, who nodded in response. "She can put it on."

The soldier who had previously spoken picked up my shoe and shoved it at me "And be quick about it."

I jumbled around with the shoe before I could finally get the back around my heel. I pushed down on the floor to make sure it was on correctly. As soon as I was satisfied, I nodded to the soldiers. "Move out!" The one at the door shouted.

The soldiers pushed me out the room, through the shop, and out the door. The rain had picked up it's tempo, and was now pouring down on me. Every step I took landed me in a squishy mud hole.

The Royal Navy pushed Will next to me, and formed a circle around us both. I gently grabbed Will's wrist. "Where do you think they're taking us?"

"I don't know." As best as he could in manacles, Will stroked my hand. Despite the panic I was in, this soothed me.

"I'm sorry Will." Will quizzically looked at me while still stroking my hand. "Your wedding."

Will stopped the stroking and placed his hand on mine. He looked up at the sky, blinking every time a raindrop cam to close to his eye. I gently squeezed his wrist and placed my head up against his shoulder. Will started to stroke my hand with just his thumb. We walked like this into the unknown. But as long as we have each other, the unknown can't be too bad…. can it?


	2. Too Young To Die

By the time the soldiers led us to our destination, the rain had picked up even more. We were at the exact same spot where Will and Elizabeth were supposed to be married. Why we are here, I don't know. I looked to Will for reassurance, but his face set. He showed no emotion and looked straight ahead.

A sudden flash of terror overcame his face. My entire chest tightened. Will isn't allowed to be frightened. Why is he frightened? That's when I noticed the small figure of Elizabeth rushing towards us.

We entered a stone Shelter as soon as Elizabeth did. "Will!" She said as any worried women would. She started fidgeting with Will's cloths, giving me a side-glance. "Why is this happening?"

"I don't know." Will answered.

Elizabeth then looked at me. I shrugged "I know no more than you do."

She went back to fiddling with Will's suit. "You look beautiful." Will said, trying to take away some worry. I lowered my eyes and tried to focus on the raindrops. Sometimes I felt so uncomfortable around them when they started doing couple things.

"I think it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding." I told him the same thing, Elizabeth.

The governor, Elizabeth's father, appeared at the edge of my vision. My hopes were lifted; he would save us! But then the marines blocked his path. I closed my eyes as the governor gave his demands to release us. I could already tell it would be no use.

"Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been too long." I heard an unfamiliar voice say to the Governor. He was a shorter fellow who showed clear authority over everyone, especially his prisoners.

"Cutler Beckett?"

"It's Lord now, actually." The long axes were removed, allowing the Governor to enter. This time my hopes were not lifted. Lord Beckett had too much control over the situation.

"Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest these citizens."

Lord Beckett looked down at all of us. It made me feel like I was being belittled by just his stare. Perhaps it was just the handcuffs, which were starting to become heavier on my hands by the second.

"In fact, I do." He said matter-of-factly. "Mr. Mercer?" A man approached Lord Beckett with a giant folder full of little parchment papers. He pulled out one of the papers "The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner."

He handed the paper to the Governor, who hesitantly took it. I could feel my heart slowly pick up speed as he slowly unfolded the paper. I stole a look at Will who, surprisingly, was doing a very nice job of hiding his fear—if he had any at all. Elizabeth and I, on the other hand, were panicking.

My attention snapped back to the Governor once he started to speak. He had a puzzled expression on his face. "This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann." I looked over at Elizabeth and back at the Governor. Elizabeth? But she's the Governor's own daughter.

"Oh is it?" Lord Beckett said without much surprise in his voice. "That's annoying. My mistake. Arrest her."

"On what charges?" Elizabeth screamed as soon as an officer grabbed her.

"No!" Will shouted as he lurched forward. The officers around him quickly pulled him back.

"Will, that's not going to do anything. They have the upper hand." I lifted my hands to show the manacles to further explain the hopeless situation we were in.

"They cannot just arrest us without probable cause, Evelyn." Will murmured behind clenched teeth.

I locked eyes with Will as Lord Becket continued to punish all around him. "Aha. Here's the one for William Turner." Will broke our gaze when a parchment was passed to the Governor. Then I felt Lord Beckett's gaze fall on me. I turned and looked him straight in the eyes. He smirked "And we can't forget Miss. Evelyn Pierce can we?" Another paper was handed to the Governor. He analyzed each and every one.

I felt like my entire body dropped to the floor. Me arrested? I figured this was going to happed because I was already handcuffed, but to actually know that I had a warrant got to me. I kept my composure as best I could, but I could sense Will's attention now directed at me. I can't look at him. If I do, I'll probably lose it.

Lord Beckett pulled out yet another paper and walked into the little circle we created. "And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington. Is he present?"

I lowered my head as I remembered what happened the day Norrington left. "What are the charges?" I heard Elizabeth angrily solicited.

"Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago." I also heard the Governor say. Norrington resigned a few months after he took many men from his navy to go hunt down Captain Jack Sparrow. One of those navy soldiers was Whitaker. He said he would come back—he promised—but I haven't seen or heard from him since.

"I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked." Lord Beckett's sneered.

"Lord Beckett." It was Will's voice. I raised my head. "In the category of questions not answered-"

"We are under the jurisdiction of the king's governor of Port Royal and you will tell us what we are charged with." Elizabeth, even though because of this we may finally get an answer to why we are being arrested, interrupted Will. Will didn't look upset, but there was still something in the back of my head telling me that something was wrong about that.

"The charge," the Governor read from the paper "is 'conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown of Empire and condemned to death, for which the….'" The Governor's face fell. Not good.

"For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death." Lord Beckett gladly chimed in. I took a quick breath. Death? Elizabeth, Will, and I looked at each other.

Lord Beckett walked up to Will. "Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow."

"Captain." The three of us said in unison.

Lord Beckett looked at all three of us clearly amused with how this was playing out. His gaze settled on me. I stood up straight, and altered my gaze so—for once—I was looking down upon him. "Captain Jack Sparrow." I sternly articulated so he got my point across.

"Captain Jack Sparrow." He repeated so each word rang out "Yes, I thought you might." He smirked once more before turning his back to us. He picked his hand up and signaled for the guards to take us away.

All three of us walked away with our heads held high. I was proud when I helped Jack escape the gallows. If I had the chance to change my course of action that day, I wouldn't. Pirate or not, Captain Jack Sparrow is a good man.


	3. New Beginnings

The officers shoved me into a cell with Elizabeth. They had taken Will to another part of the jail, so I have no idea what he has to deal with. I pressed my face against the cell to see if there was any possible trace of him, but the farthest I could see was two cells over. That wasn't any better than if I had just looked through the bars next to us.

I turned to face my new cellmate, Elizabeth. We were the only women in the prison, that's probably the only reason we're in this cell together. All the men in the jail—although talking amongst themselves—just stared at us. It was almost as if they'd never seen a girl before. "Uh….Sorry about your wedding, Elizabeth." I said to relieve the awkwardness that had slowly descended into the prison. Although Elizabeth and I are both friends with Will, we never really got to know each other.

Elizabeth sat down on the only bench in the cell. "It is a pity, isn't it?" She didn't use much empathy in her voice. Perhaps she has something else on her mind? We were silent for a moment. "You can sit down, if you want." Elizabeth said as she moved over a little. I didn't want to deny her, so I sat down next to her.

Elizabeth's wedding dress took up most of the bench, but I really didn't mind having just a small spot to sit on. She offer's me a seat and I let her have most of the room, maybe next we'll become best friends. I'm sure Will would like that.

More silence passed between us. A fly started to buzz in my ear and I swished it away, only to have it come back. I sighed and shooed it away once more. Elizabeth curiously looked at me "What is it?"

"Oh, it's just a fly." I smiled back.

"I see. I hate flies sometimes."

"As do I." I replied in a somewhat questioning manner. Is this really what we're reduced to talk about? Flies? Sighing, I lifted myself off of the bench to look out of the small window we had in our cell. For some reason, not every cell had a window. I was thankful that ours at least did. Fresh air is nice to get every once in a while.

"What do you see?" Elizabeth asked. At least she was _trying_ to have a conversation, I'll giver her that.

"Nothing much. I can really only see the ocean and the docks." I shrugged and looked over at her. She responded with a half smile. "Umm….but it stopped raining." I offered, trying to keep this conversation going. The more we know one another, the less awkward it will be in this prison; especially when our release date may never come.

"That's good. The wedding may have been alright after all." Elizabeth looked down at her dress. "It would've been perfect."

I crossed our cell so I was now leaning up against the bars facing Elizabeth. She was fidgeting with her dress, letting her disappointment finally show. She was dragged away from her wedding in handcuffs; I couldn't help but feel bad for her. "I really truly am sorry about your wedding, Elizabeth." She didn't look up. I needed something that would get her talking. "You're dress is beautiful."

She perked her head up, her eyes lighting instantly "My father had it shipped all the way from England."

I smiled back at her. "Well it really is beautiful."

"Thank you." Elizabeth smiled back. "You're dress is quite pretty, I couldn't tell if she really meant this, or if she just wanted to say something nice back to me. Elizabeth started to giggle. "Even with all the dirt on it." I smiled back at her, not really caring anymore if she actually liked my white dress.

"Well that's what I get for trying to wear a white dress." I chuckled. "It's actually the most expensive thing I-" I spun around as soon as I saw movement in the corner of my eye. "Will?"

As soon as I said his name, Elizabeth ran to my side. "Will! What's happening?" She shouted as she pressed herself into the bars.

"Hey!" An officer pointed down to or cell. "Quiet down there!"

I don't know about Elizabeth, but my eyes never left Will's face as he shrugged at us. "Will!" I paused, not exactly sure what to say. But I have to say something so I don't look stupid "Please be careful." Will nodded back at me before he was ushered up the stairs.

A guard suddenly appeared at the cell door. He grabbed my right arm and pulled it out to where he was standing. He started to squeeze my wrist as means of punishment. I tried prying his fingers off my arm, but it was no good. "I thought I told you to be quiet." I started to whimper as the pain grew in intensity. "I'll have you know, I can-"

"And I'll have _you_ know," Elizabeth interrupted "That Miss. Pierce is under the jurisdiction of the governor of Port Royal. You shall not lay another hand on her unless given direct orders to do so." I looked back at Elizabeth. Her arms were crossed and she was wearing a stern look. The same look she had on when she was speaking earlier to Lord Beckett about the King.

The guard sneered over at Elizabeth and threw my hand away. I quickly brought by hand through the bars. My right arm was completely red at the wrist and hurt even after the initial assault. I rubbed my wrist and felt spots where a bruising may occur in the near future. I looked back up at the guard, who now had his face pressed against the bar. "You're just lucky the Governor's _only_ daughter is in here with you." I stood my ground until the guard got fed up with this cell and went on to torment another.

I looked back down at my wrist. Some of the color was returning, but it was still red. You could tell something had happened. Elizabeth started mumbling and pacing around the small cell. "Oh, wait until my father hears about this! Guards abusing their prisoners?" She stopped her anger calming down. She faced me, but I didn't look up from my still-red hand. She became angry all over again and continued bickering about the prisons in Port Royal.

"Elizabeth." I whispered, raising my head to look over at her. She didn't stop the mumbling. "Elizabeth." She still continued her pacing. "Elizabeth!" I grabbed her arm with my wounded hand. She looked down at it before looking back up at me again. "Thanks." Elizabeth nodded and went over to look out the window. She helped me when the guard came and I settled her down before she became out of control. Perhaps we could be friends after all.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Elizabeth and I found a common topic to talk about: Will. For most of the late afternoon we sat on the cell's bench and worried over Will. He had still not come down from his mysterious upstairs assignment. As strange as the conversation was, it was clear that we both cared deeply about Will. There was just something in Elizabeth's tone of voice that hinted there was some uncertainty on her behalf. I shook off my observation as nothing. Just some little story I'd made in my head to make myself happier.

The jingling of keys instantly made us stop talking and coldly stare at the man in the red coat with the keys. He was a little taller than me, but very slender. He stopped in front of our cell and looked directly at me with his eyes which were closer together than what they should be. "Lord Beckett wishes to see you, Miss."

"Me?" I curiously asked. Why on earth would he want to see me?

The man nodded at me then motioned for a second guard to come. Of course it was the man who had left bruises on my wrist earlier today. He mockingly smiled at Elizabeth and I. He had some manacles with him "Can't be to careful, now, can we?"

Cautiously, I walked over to the door of our cell. Once I reached the door, the officer with the keys looked me over before turning to his companion. "Those won't be necessary, Mr. Long." The officer who had hurt me before, Mr. Long, took a breath as if to protest, but the slender officer interjected him "Lord Beckett said only to use them if necessary, and that doesn't appear to be the case."

Mr. Long mumbled, following the other officer's orders and tossing the manacles aside. The door was then opened and Mr. Long grabbed up shoulder. I winced from the pressure of his arm. "Just in case." He eyed me to make it seem like I was a suspicious person. Regrettably, the other officer nodded and proceeded to lead us upstairs.

I was quickly escorted outside. Mr. Long and his commanding officer led me through the fort into a long, into the town, and down a narrow hallway. We had to walking in a single file line, so Mr. Long had to free his grip on my shoulder.

Once we reached the end, I was pushed through a door and into an office. At first, the office looked cozy with the fireplace and the gorgeous view of the ocean. But once I started to observe smaller contents in the room, I got an uneasy feeling. I remained quiet and listened to the brush strokes a man was making beside me. He was in the process of creating a map.

The sound of approaching footsteps made my attention snap towards where the porch was. In walked Lord Beckett, the very man who made this entire incident happen. No wonder the uneasy feeling came to me. I was in the office of wickedness.

"Ah, yes. Miss. Pierce, how lovely of you to come." Beckett picked up a crystal glass and offered it to me.

I shook my head "Uh, no thanks." I will not accept anything from him.

"Very well," He set the glass down and looked at the two guards next to me. "Please escort the other prisoner out. I think you will find he needs a change of clothes." Here, he looked at me then back at the soldiers. "And no manacles needed."

The two officers went to the back porch and brought forth the other prisoner. "Will?"

"Evelyn?" He pushed pass the guards to get to me quicker. The guards were about to take him back, but Beckett motioned them not to. I eyed him curiously before my attention went over to Will. We quickly embraced, not wanting Beckett and the two officers getting any false ideas. Will put his hand on my soldiers and looked me in the eyes. I felt my heart flutter a little. "Are you doing alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Without even realizing it, I pulled down my sleeve on my right arm to cover the bruising. "I'm fine." I smiled, trying to distract him "And you?"

"I'm….fine." Will eyed my sudden action and dropped his arms. Will is a smart man. He knows something happened.

"Why are you here?" I had to change the subject before he asked about my arm.

He ignored my question and picked my right hand up. I let him. Deep down, I wanted him to know I had somewhat been abused. I bit my lower lip as he started to roll my sleeve up. He stared at the marking for a while before looking back up at with his now-concerned brown eyes. "What happened?"

I looked over at Mr. Long, then back at Will. I wasn't sure whether to say something or not. Slowly, I shook my head. I don't want Will getting into any more trouble than what he already is.

Will gently pulled my sleeve back over my wrist. "I promise I'll take care of this." I was about to warn him against doing so, but the guards were now at his side. Will dropped my hand once he realized our time was up.

Mr. Long made eye contact with me. I instinctively grabbed my right arm. Will quickly looked at the officer once he realized who me new enemy was. I slowly shook my head, hoping he'd take it as either 'No, that's not him' or 'Don't do anything stupid.' Will took a deep breath as he restrained himself. "I hope to see you again."

"Hope?" I tilted my head "Will, what are you-."

Beckett's laughter stopped me. "Don't worry, Mr. Turner. You will."

The soldiers started to lead Will out of the room. "Beckett you monster! Don't let her come! You'll be putting her in dang-" Will was cut off when the slender soldier slammed the door shut.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Beckett beckoned me to sit in a chair. I was now alone with a monster.


	4. Dealings With The Enemy

I eyed the door the soldiers just forced Will out of as I slowly made me way to the chair placed across from Beckett. Once seated, Beckett lifted a glass cup towards me. I slowly shook my head, only looking at the gold ring on the cup. The last thing I wanted to do was look at this man in the eyes. "Um, no thank you."

"Very well," Beckett put the glass down on a nearby desk "On with business." Beckett stood and went over to the fire. He gazed into the flames, almost seeming to forget that anyone was here.

I shifted in my seat, anxious about what Beckett had in store for me. Will's words kept repeating in my mind 'Beckett you monster! Don't let her come! You'll be putting her in dang-' I'm sure Will meant to say danger before he was cut off by the door. I looked out at the sea. Even though I could barely hear the waves from the ocean, it was still a comfort. My mind started to stray away from this 'dangerous' task that may be assigned to me.

"As with Mr. Turner," Beckett finally said, his sudden voice making me jump a little. "The East India Trading Company is in need of your services." Beckett turned to face away from the fire, expecting me to say something. Seeing that I didn't, he continued on while slowly making his way towards me "We are sending Mr. Turner on a business transaction with our dear friend Captain Sparrow."

"Captain Sparrow?" I eyed the man skeptically.

"Correct," Beckett started to circle around my chair. I kept my posture and faced forward so as not to keep spinning my head around. "You see, you, along with Mr. Turner, set Jack Sparrow free. And now you both must go and recover a certain property in his possession." He stopped in front of me.

"Recover, as in bargaining?" Beckett answered my question with a nod. "I don't see what you could possibly give Jack Sparrow in return."

Beckett raised his eyebrows and walked to my left. I rose from my chair and followed Beckett until we reached his desk. Sitting on his desk was a small wooden box with the East India Trading Company's emblem engraved into it. I stood off to the side—not wanting to get too close to the enemy—but I could still see a small leather parchment inside the box. Beckett pulled out the item and let my eyes examine it from afar. "Letters of Marque" Becket smiled and handed me the letter. I unwrapped the leather while Beckett spoke "You and Mr. Turner will offer Jack a pardon. He will be employed as a privateer and can sail the seas as a free man."

I briefly scanned the letter. "I doubt Jack will work for you." I lifted my eyes to look at Beckett "He doesn't take orders to kindly."

Beckett snatched the papers away from me. "Sooner or later Jack will have to find his place in the world or perish." He snapped the box closed. "But there is no need for you or your friends to perish in the world, Miss. Pierce."

"What do you mean?"

Beckett slowly started to walk towards me "You face the Hangman's noose, along with Mr. Turner and Miss. Swann." He stood by my side and started to whisper in my ear "You help retrieve what I ask for, and I will insure your safety."

"And what about Will?" I asked before quickly adding "….and Elizabeth"

"Ah yes," I could sense Beckett's smile "Everyone, including Mr. Turner, will also be safe."

Finally feeling uncomfortable with the nearness of this villain, I hurried over to the fire place. "And how do you expect me to help Will get The Black Pearl?"

Beckett chuckled "That's exactly what Mr. Turner assumed I meant. I don't need a new ship, not even the fastest in the Caribbean. What I do need is considerably smaller and far more valuable." He paused to see if I could piece together his riddle. I kept staring at him, waiting for the answer "Do you remember a certain compass Jack always keeps on his person?"

"You mean the one that doesn't work?" Again, Beckett nodded his answer "Whatever for?"

Beckett walked to the other side of the fire place "That does not concern you, now does it?"

"But if I am to get it, I should know what for."

He faced me "You get me that compass, or I will see to it that you watch your dear friend Mr. Turner be hanged."

I looked down at my feet and took a deep breath. This man can certainly find everyone's weaknesses. Once I had straightened myself up, I looked back at Beckett "But why do you need me? I understand why you need Will, but why me?"

Beckett smiled and started walking towards the door "You have proven yourself worthy on your first little adventure with William Turner and Jack Sparrow. And Jack Sparrow already knows and trusts you." Here, he opened the door. Two guards were soon in the doorway. Sensing that it was time for me to go, I left the warm fireplace and stood just outside the doorway. "Besides, Mr. Turner will need a companion on his little journey. Your job is to basically make sure William retrieves the compass. You know what will happen if you fail." I gulped and nodded. "Good," now Beckett looked to the guards "Although it is against our society, see to it that Miss. Pierce has better traveling attire. And then hand her off to Mr. Turner." Beckett nodded at the guard, who nodded back, and then nodded at me. "Good luck." He closed the door in my face.

I don't recognize these new soldiers. But I guess it was fine as long as Mr. Long wasn't here. The taller of the two guards grabbed my soldier "This way, Miss."

They lead me to a store where merchant men get their clothing. I quickly picked up an already-put-together bundle of clothing, consisting of a white undershirt, and a long black vest—and a matching pair of boots. After properly changing, the guards led me to the docks. We stopped in front of a small ship; one that defiantly not meant to return back to Port Royal. We waited in silence until the marching of more soldiers approached us with Will.

"Here's your ship, sir." One of the guards with Will said. Will looked at me before taking in the sight of the old boat. "It's not meant to be returned. We expect both of you to meet up with Captain Sparrow in no time."

Will nodded at the guards, who then proceeded to leave the area. However, they stayed close enough to catch us if we tried to run back into the city. Will faced me "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded, thinking about what would happen if I didn't help bring back the compass "Positive."

Will sighed "I was afraid you would say that." I smiled, trying to think of something to get his mind off of my possible demise on our newest adventure.

"Someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid." I nudged him until he smiled back. "That's the spirit."

"Well, I guess we better get this over with." Will grabbed my hand and led me up the plank to our ship. The wind started to pick up, causing my hair to move freely about me.

"Where are we going?"

Will stopped in his tracks, almost making me run into him. "Tortuga."


	5. Remembrance

**I'd like to thank bluelibellule for sending me a lovely PM and boosting my spirits. She also put my (and MistroStrings's) story in her community. Thanks so much blulibellule :D**

**Second note: There will be a Pirates of the Caribbean Lego game. _Please_ tell me I'm not the only excited one here xD**

**Anyway, on with the story. I fear whether this chapter will seem discombobulated or not because I typed it in small sections over the period of a week. It made sense to me, but I can't help but worry... I'll try my best to make the next one awesome though!**

**Happy Reading!**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

I missed being on a ship.

Actually, I'd forgotten all about sailing until Port Royal was but a simple dot upon the horizon. I don't know how I ever could have erased the sensation of salty air blowing freely across my hair, sending it all about my face and covering my vision with a shade of brown. The waves that splashed against hand each time I lowered it over the railing was like a friendly brush against my skin. It was the memory of seasickness that I was pleased with forgetting. All I could recall from that particular incident was Jack forcing me to sit near the edge of the ship so I wouldn't dirty the deck.

Fortunately the sickness decided to spare me this time.

I did feel a bit lightheaded, however, after the first hour of sailing had passed. Assuming it was simply my body adjusting to the sea again, I shrugged the whole thing off. It was the paleness of my face that betrayed me. One look at it sent Will straight into an overly-concerned state of mind. He wanted me rest down below until I felt better, offering to take over my share of sailing in order to do so. I completely refused to allow such to happen. How else was I to adjust to the rocking of a ship if I lied down? Besides, I couldn't have Will sacrificing some of his resting time just so I could have more. There was no guarantee this adventure was going to be a short one. We needed all the rest we could get before time took such away from us.

So instead I decided walking around the beaten ship would be a better idea. I would be able to readjust to life at sea while still doing my share of the work. The floorboards creaked as I passed over them, threatening to snap from under my feet. Yet I was determined to push away my slight headache. It took a few hours, but eventually I felt right at home amongst the waves once more. The only thing left to do was wait until the start of my shift at the helm.

To pass the time, I decided to work on the present I was _supposed _to give to Will the night of his wedding. However, such did not happen. The gift was a small leather cord necklace adorned with little trinkets I had managed to find throughout the months. Each of them interesting to me for a separate unique aspect, but my favorite was the eye shell pendant. I decided to to make it a littler higher up on the string then so it would be noticed more. Tying it to the leather cord would be difficult, as it had been with the remainder of the charms, but it was the last thing that needed to be accomplished before it was complete. My only hope was that I could finish it before Will came back from one of the supply rooms.

After dragging a chair up from below deck and placing it by the wheel, which actually appeared more of a half wheel because of its awful condition, I plopped down into the wooden seat. I was immediately greeted with a fresh breeze and the warmth of the Sun upon my skin. I relaxed in the calmness of the ocean air for a moment, but then my purpose caught up with me and I forced myself to focus on the eye shell pendant. Taking advantage of the mere fact that I was wearing pants, I tucked my left ankle beneath my right knee and removed the unfinished necklace from its hiding spot upon my neck.

Apparently the wind did not want me to work though. It had felt nice when I relished beneath the sunlight, but now it was just a nuisance. My hair continuously fell into my face, making everything far more difficult than it needed to be. Sighing, I snapped off a small piece of the leather cord and leaned my head back so I could gather up my hair for a braid.

Forming such a style was not too complex, but it did call for a considerable amount of concentration. So lost in the _under, over, cross, under, over, cross_ pattern that I did not realize my right eye was scrunched and I was biting on my bottom lip until I heard a deep chuckle. The noise itself froze me, but the following question only caused my cheeks to flush with embarrassment. "Evelyn... what are you doing?"

I widened my eyes and brought my head back down to a normal forward-facing position. Not wanting to lose my started braid, I kept my hands behind by back. "I'm... braiding my hair," I sheepishly smiled back at him.

"Well, I can see that." His gaze fell to the necklace in my lap. "What's that?"

"Nothing!" I squeaked, thrusting my braid into one hand and shoving the necklace into my pocket.

There was a smile upon Will's face as he sauntered the railing. His hand grazed the chipping wood and his head tilted slightly. Clearly he wasn't believing me. "Really?"

"Yes, really," I smiled, copying his tilting gesture. "Now mind your own business." I slung my braid over my right shoulder and got up from the chair to stand beside me. We were both leaning upon the less-than-stable railing, looking directly into the sea. Multiple shades of blue took hold of my vision, and from it, the mystery behind this approaching adventure finally found me. I had no idea what would cross our path this time, and I couldn't help but have a bleak outlook on it. _If skeleton pirates exist, then surely anything can... _I gulped before hesitantly facing Will. "What do you suppose we'll be up against this time?"

His feet shifted with uncertainty. "We're just searching for Jack. Surely he'll be the only one-"

"That's not what I meant," I softly cut him off. When his locked with mine, I turned back to the ocean. Just staring into the clearness of it brought back memories of the cursed pirates. "Last time our only goal was to rescue Elizabeth. We anticipated pirates, not indestructible cursed skeleton ones. Do you think it's possible Jack managed to force some new myth to come after us?"

"Evelyn!" Will chuckled, "I really don't believe there's anything else out there."

"How do _you_ know?" I nudged his shoulder in an attempt to lift both our spirits. "I bet you didn't even believe in immortal pirates and cursed gold until you saw it with your own eyes."

"And even then it was hard to believe," he muttered under his breath. A sudden silence found us after the release of his breath, the only sound being that of waves and passing seagulls. It was Will who broke the stillness by slapping the side of the ship and backing away. I dared one last inhale of the salty air before turning around to see where he'd gone off to.

I wasn't very surprised to find him attempting to steer the half-wheel.

The silence was broken once Will slapped the side of the side of the ship and left my eyesight. I took one last inhale of the salty sea air before turning around and seeing where Will had gone off to. He was at the half-wheel, altering the course of the ship since it had drifted a little while we were talking. Smiling, I walked over to the railing the helm was connected next to.

Smiling, I walked over the the railing protecting the helmsmen from stepping too far forward. It appeared sturdy enough, so I decided to lean against it. No sooner had my weight shifted onto it when I immediately shot back up with a gasp. Will looked to me with eyes squinted in puzzlement over my sudden reaction. "What is it?"

I nervously eyed the relatively long drop to the deck below. "I swear the railing moved when I leaned back on it." I tested the handrail again, slowly adding weight to make sure it wouldn't suddenly crack from underneath me. Nothing stirred. "I guess it was just my imagination..." Will eyed the railing before focusing his attention to the bow of the ship. I, on the other hand, continued with the task of braiding my hair. After a few more moments of listening to the waves, another question popped into my head. "Will, what if Jack's not in Tortuga?"

"Someone will probably know where we can find him then." His vision bounced around the ship. "Although, I doubt this ship can hold another voyage."

I looked up from my hair to gaze around the old ship. Chipping paint, fraying ropes, and splintered wood. I didn't even know the name of this terrible vessel because the back had been all scratched up and was bleached beyond legibility. The only letters I was able to make out upon boarding it were and "s" and a "t," which could pretty much mean anything. There was only one decent thing about this ship, and it was the surprising fact that the sail contained no holes.

As I gazed about the ship, tying the black cord into my hair in the process, it sudden occurred to me that yet another silence had managed to find us. Will and I were _friends_; how was words failed to find us? I looked to Will to see if perhaps he had more to add to his analysis of the ship, but I was only met with gleaming eyes hiding beneath a firm face. He was deeply thinking about something, but as usual, I could not decipher what it could be.

"Well," I breathed into the silence. When I was given no response, I decided finishing the necklace would be a rather useful way to occupy the remainder of my time. It was certainly better than leaning against a rickety railing without muttering a single word. Still, silence was not particularly something I wanted. "It certainly is quieter now that Jack's not here."

"And less violent," Will smirked back to me the moment I plopped into the chair. However, I had no idea what he was referring to and so tilted my head with confusion. This only caused Will to spin around with a sigh. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not dangle over the sea again."

_Oh! That incident. _I felt my face light up with realization. "You mean the whole sail boom ordeal?" When Will nodded my entire body fell stiff at the memory. My words were barely above a whisper: "I didn't like the way Jack treated you... it was frightening."

Rather than hearing consoling words or some form of reassurance, Will decided the best action would be to chuckle. He tried to cover it up, but the glare I sent told him he wasn't succeeding. Thus his chortles turned into a bellowing laugh. Frustrated, I through my hands in the air. "Well I didn't!"

"Evelyn, all that's done now. There's no need to be frightened about it."

I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms, trying my best to hold back a smile. His laughter was quite contagious and I found it rather difficult to remain upset with him for too long. He didn't need to know that though, so I raised an eyebrow. "How about you give my past fears some peace and go back to steering the ship?"

"Whatever you say," Will teasingly shrugged.

"Will you stop it?" I cried rolling my eyes, catching on to his jesting nature. This only made the smile on his face grow. "I'm serious. This ship isn't going to sail itself into Tortuga."

With a shake of his head, Will turned back to the wheel. The moment his back faced me, I retrieved the necklace and set about tying down the last trinket. After a few minutes of nervously knotting and taking multiple glances to make sure Will hadn't suddenly turned around, my gift was finally completed. I did one final test to make sure all the trinkets were secure, tugging on each one to be sure it wouldn't fall off. Each charm winked back at me in the remaining sunlight as I pulled. I was pleased when none fell off. _I've actually made something that isn't falling apart!_

Now all that was left to do was find the proper moment to present him with the gift. If I gave it to him now, the suddenness of the wedding incident may inflict him. The necklace was, after all, a _wedding present_. Yet if I waited too long, there was a high possibility I would either lose it or forget the whole thing entirely. I bit my lip as the nerves of such a decision grew. The unwavering image of Will wasn't helping in the slightest. Even the fading light of sunset wasn't inspiring enough to help me-

_Sunset. _I was supposed to take my post _hours _before the Sun even set. Yet here I was, doing nothing of the sort.

I thrust the necklace over my head and stormed over to Will. "Whatever happened to taking shifts?"

"You haven't exactly gotten used to walking aboard the ship yet," Will confessed. His arms nervously shifted upon the wheel. "I didn't want you getting hurt."

"And I bet you thought I wouldn't notice this either?" When he furthered his confession with a nod, I sighed and fell back onto the banister. "I'm fine, Will. Really. Besides, at some point you're going to have to-"

My own screams cut off my sentence as I the railing snapped from underneath me.

I was falling, arms flailing in every direction as they tried to grab at something... _anything_... but nothing was found. My legs toppled over the edge of the forecastle. I felt them flip over my persistent hands. And it was because of this small flip that my fingers were able to find the rim of the planks. However, with my lack of upper body strength, I knew there was no possibility of me pulling myself back up.

My hands were slipping.

_Perhaps the fall isn't too far, _I thought in a panic. For a moment I was calm with the fact that such a possibility could exist, but then I looked down and an entirely new terror found me. The anticipation of my long fall to the main deck overwhelmed me so much that I convinced myself to release my hold on the planks.

I was falling.

Suddenly another hand latched onto mine. Although it was obviously Will, I still felt the need to glance up at him and be sure my soul wasn't actually being pulled into the sky. Thankfully it wasn't, but unfortunately _I _had to act fast or else I'd pull both of us to the deck below. So I swung my feet onto the vertical wall below the forecastle and began to climb with Will's hand refusing to let of of mine. The only problem to arise was when I ran out of wall. Will was on his own now, and as if realizing this, a sudden strength tightened his fingertips and he quickly hoisted me up the rest of the way.

As soon as my body was pulled to safety, Will's hand left mine. I didn't care too much though. Deep breathing and a racing heart were distracting enough.

"Evelyn?" Will's worried voice echoed in my head. My eyes snapped onto a face matching his tone. "Evelyn, are you all right?"

In an instant I was on my feet with my arms wrapped around his neck. When his strong arms found there way around my waist, there was no stopping the burning sensation I felt spreading onto my cheeks. This was an act of gratitude, and suddenly feeling an eruption within myself, I knew a simple embrace was not enough to express myself. Something more had to be done.

I loosened my hold to better take off the necklace. "I made this for you," I softly said, placing the leather cord over his neck. My hand then slid to his heart. "For your wedding."

One of Will's hand slid away from my waist to better examine his gift. He didn't appear to have comprehended my final words; all his concentration lied on those charms. His finger eventually halted on the eye shell pendant and a smile took hold of his lips. "This one is my favorite."

"Mine too," I smiled.

He turned his head to me, his brown eyes glistening in the sunset. My heart picked up its quicker tempo again, but this time fear did not fuel it. Some other feeling was coursing through me. A small pounding drummed into the palm of my right hand, a beat perfectly in sync with my heart. Will's heart. A sudden stroke on the side of my face drew my attention away. I looked to Will, who instinctively had brushed a strand of hair that had fallen onto my face. I had been willing to ignore it, but for some reason he could not.

When we locked eyes, my breathing slowed. The only sound to even enter my ears was that of two heart beating as one. The sound was so soothing that I hardly noticed Will and I were slowly coming together until I felt his forehead touch mine. My breathing stopped altogether.

I wanted to kiss him. I'd probably wanted to do so for a while now, but hadn't come to terms with such until this moment. However, I couldn't bring myself to do it. Something didn't feel right, and their names were Elizabeth and Whitaker. We have chosen our paths and settled into our lifestyles. There was no changing it.

Regrettably, I turned my head and embraced again rather than allow our lips to touch.

"Thank you," I whispered. Although I was truly grateful, those two words had been difficult to voice.

We stepped away from each other seconds later, our eyes looking anywhere but at the other. Yet another silence found us.

"I suppose I haven't found my sea legs after all," I added, trying my best to relieve the discomforting air. Apparently it worked because a small smile appeared on Will's face. I nodded at him before turning to the wheel. "Now go get some rest. It's my shift now."

Without another word, Will walked down the steps and into a cabin. My hands slid down my face once he was out of sight. Despite the lack of danger thus far, I knew this adventure was going to be much harder than I originally thought.


	6. Reoccurring Images

**So now I **_**bought **_**Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. I've even beaten the first movie! However, I have to stop myself before I get too carried away and play the fourth movie. I don't want to spoil anything!**

**Speaking of the fourth _Pirates_ movie, I plan on watching it at midnight (WHOO!) even if there is no William Turner. And also, apparently there is a rumor of a _Pirates of the Caribbean_ five and six. Honestly… I don't know what to think about that. I mean, I love these movies and I'll look forward to them no matter what, but perhaps this is too far? Eh, whatever. I'm done making you guys wait around whilst I babble about this. Happy reading!**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.

The sun barely entered its evening glow when small shadows began to form along the horizon. Momentarily leaving the wheel, I walked across the ship to get a better look from the bow. I leaned over the side, but no sooner had my hands touched the wood when I began backing away from it. The last time I pressed myself against a rail on this old ship it broke, and I did _not_ want that to happen again.

I quickly looked around the ship before my eyes rested upon the rigging above me. Attempting to avoid the railing all together, I placed my foot into the lowest square of rope and hoisted the rest of my body onto the lines. As soon as I felt secure enough, I tightened my hold on the rope and leaned back to gaze at the approaching shape. It was a little difficult to see, what with my eyes watering from the sudden gust of wind, but the image I saw was quite clear.

It was definitely an island, and a small one at that. From what I could see, there was a narrow entrance between two unwelcoming cliffs. If this was Tortuga, then once we sailed through that opening we'd be encircled by multiple cliffs. Even though my eyes remained fixed on the approaching island, my mind was elsewhere, searching through my memory of my first trip to Tortuga. Only a frightening yet mystifying emotion washed over me as flashes of faded recollections rapidly flew across by.

Although I couldn't remember what the outside of the island looked like, judging by what I felt looking at those cliffs, this was definitely Tortuga.

When my mind was made, I carefully lowered myself back onto the deck. Will had told me to get him once I spotted land. He was to be the one to dock the ship, considering I had no training. Chances were I'd probably just crash the ship into the harbor or something. Then again, it _would_ be rather interesting to see whether all the drunken pirates even noticed the out-of-place ship sitting in their port. I chuckled at the thought, a smile embedded into my face as I turned back to the island one last time.

It was far closer than I expected it to be within the time span of a few seconds, but I definitely had more than enough time to get Will before we crashed into the rocks. The ship could manage without a helmsman for a few minutes. So I headed down the stairs, not at all surprised to find Will awake. I doubted he had even slept since leaving Port Royal earlier this morning. He was bent over a chipped desk, the stool he sat upon wobbling with each heave of his breath. Papers were scattered across the top of it, all of varying written lengths.

I shifted my weight to my right foot and sighed, "Will, what are you doing?"

He briefly glanced up at me before returning to the latest paper he was writing on. "Planning what to do once we enter Tortuga." He motioned me over to take a look at his latest thoughts. "I was thinking we'd ask around the docks first, since that's where the ship will be. Then perhaps check to see if there are any fishermen along the beach."

I skimmed the notes he had taken, surprised with how much he remembered from our first visit. However, there was still one vital place missing from his planning. "What about the city?" I looked up from the paper to face Will. "I know that's the part of the island with the more... lively pirates, but they'd probably know more about Jack than any of those other merchants."

"I considered that, but I didn't want to risk going there at night." He admitted, smoothing the paper onto the desk.

My eyebrow raised in a scolding manner. _We've faced cursed skeleton pirates. I really doubt there's anything else out there, especially not in Tortuga, more dangerous than that._ But instead of arguing with him, I decided to try and convince him in a lighter, albeit childish, manner. "Why? Are you suddenly afraid of the dark?"

Will scrutinized my face as a small smile began to play on his lips. "No need to look so offended, Evelyn," he said, trying to cover up the small chuckle in his voice. "We'll go into the main city if we have time then. Happy?"

I smiled and nodded back at him, despite knowing he still planned on returning to the ship. I would go fully into Tortuga by myself if I had to. Whether he chose to follow or not would be his decision. "Oh, speaking of Tortuga, I think we've arrived."

Quicker than what I had expected, Will pushed the chair away from the desk. Two papers spilled onto the floor from the sudden action, but Will took no notice of them as he briskly walked out of the room. With a roll of my eyes, I bent down and picked up the stray papers. I neatly piled them back onto the desk, but I didn't emerge onto the deck. Instead, I stared down at the sprawled out papers. The plan was pretty much set in stone: find Jack, get the compass, and return to Port Royal.

However, based on my past experience, things were never as easy as they seemed. What if this turned out to be one of those exact occurrences? Considering Jack Sparrow was involved, I just knew everything was about to become that much more difficult.

~.~.~.~.

I had faith that Will would dock the ship, yet it would be a lie to say I didn't think we would sink in the process. The ship was simply a floating shipwreck to begin with! I continuously shot the ugly vessel multiple incredulous looks as Will and I walked around the harbor. At one point I witnessed a small group of men approach our ship only to point up at it and laugh. It was obvious they were mocking the ship, and I truly didn't blame them for doing such. Even _I _hated that ship.

"Evelyn!" Will's voice called from far behind me. I spun around, blushing with embarrassment. I hadn't even realized I stopped walking. A few men looked to me, trying to match the name that was just called out with a face. I uncomfortably smiled at some of the closer merchants before hurrying to where Will was.

"Sorry," I sheepishly muttered once I caught up with him. "I got a little distracted."

Will smiled down at me. His lips parted as though he were about to say something, but his eyes shifted away from mine. I followed his gaze to an older looking sailor cutting something I couldn't quite make out. There was a small bald spot on the very top of his head, but in the back fell strands of white hair. A scraggly beard framed his weathered face.

"Do you think he might know something?" Will questioned.

I shrugged without looking back at him. "He better. I'm starting to lose faith in these merchants."

It was true. We'd been asking around like drunken fools, and so far the only answer we received was sound nothing. _I knew we should have started in the city... _I internally mumbled.

Will began walking towards the sailor with me trailing behind. This time I made sure to follow right at his heels so as not to accidentally wander off again, but even in the evening there was a massive crowd of pirates and merchants alike. They swarmed the dock, briskly walking about in their thick boots and carrying large crates of various supplies. _I suppose this is comes with being the last free port left in the Caribbean._

"Sailor!" Will called out at the man. The weathered face of the man briefly looked at us to make sure it was him we were referring to, but he made no other motion. Rather, he waited for Will to continue while keeping his eyes on his work. "What do you know of Jack Sparrow?"

The sailor momentarily stopped his work. "Jack Sparrow?" His confused face showed that he didn't know who we were talking about. We had come across this face numerous times throughout our search, so we knew the result would only be a lack of information. Anticipating such results, Will began backing away, but I held fast to his arm and forced him to stay.

"You may know him better as Captain Jack Sparrow," I piped in, hoping this would jog his memory some more. I didn't want to give up so easily.

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow?" I confirmed the sailor's question with a nod. His eyes wandered from my face to Will's before shrugging and picking up his knife work once more. "Owes me four doubloons." He looked back up at us, his face set in with some sort of disbelief. "Heard he was dead."

My blood ran cold. _Dead?_ Jack couldn't be dead. As much as I hated to admit it, Jack was far too cunning for his corpse to be rotting someplace.

"Thanks." Will nodded at the sailor before ushering me off. I was so stiff that he literally had to push me forwards because my legs refused to move. My mind was too busy reeling with questions to properly make my limbs move: _What will Beckett say? Will he still let Will and Elizabeth go free? We did _try _to retrieve the compass. That has to be good enough, right?__  
_

"Evelyn, you can't believe everything you hear," Will sternly whispered into my ear. The strength of his voice was enough to turn my thoughts into words.

"But he's the only one who's actually said something about Jack! What if it's true?" I stared right into his eyes for some sort of confident answer, but knew none would come once he retreated his vision.

"Perhaps we should try along the bay? The fishermen may know something."

Will grabbed my hand and began to lead me towards the beach, but I pulled back. It only took a few steps for him to realize I was no longer with him. Once he spun around, he was greeted with the image of me staring at him through narrowed eyes with arms crossed in front of my chest. "What about the _city_? It's bustling with all sorts of pirates, and since the sun is only nearly setting, there may yet be some minds still able to string together a sentence. We still have time." I stood upon my tiptoes to peer over his shoulder. "Besides, I don't _see_ very many fishermen."

"It's just a precaution," Will sighed as he continued to walk towards the shoreline. "Let's just ask the few fishermen down there."

"Precaution? I am fully aware of taking care of myself!" I angrily shouted back, chasing after him. The first time we ventured into Tortuga, I _was _a frail. I could barely handle a sword! However, that was an entire adventure ago. Will needed to realize I was no longer that woman. I had changed. And as I finally reached his side, I was quite pleased to see a stern face accompanying darting eyes. He was thinking everything over. But simply _thinking _was not that same as _knowing_. "Well fine! Let's just go ask the fishermen. I'm sure they hear about pirates _all _the time when they're out by themselves fishing all day," I huffed.

I pushed in front of him and headed towards the small amount of fishermen scattered along the coast. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to feel an arm on my shoulder preventing me from taking another step. "We can go into the city," he sighed, "but can we please just ask one fisherman? I believe that the more perspectives of Jack we gather, the faster we can find him _alive_."

A victorious smile lifted my lips long before I spun back to face him. "Mr. Turner, I do believe we have an accord." I stuck out my hand to further my playful point.

"Very funny," Will replied as he shook my hand.

With that, I walked down the steps and onto the beach below. My boots sunk slightly into the sand, but I didn't take that much notice of it. My main purpose was to find the closest fisherman so Will and I could have more time in the city. In all honestly, I wanted to stay as far away from that dreadful place as possible, but there was a strange feeling in my gut that I _had _to go there. It was almost like an imaginary pull. Something would happen while Will and I were in the city, but whether Jack was involved or not I did not know.

My eyes quickly scanned the cost, happily locking onto a fisherman just coming in from his day at work. A small boat floated atop the shallow water surrounding him, but his clear mission of beating the tide did not prevent me from dashing towards him. "Excuse me, sir," I shouted, waving a hand in the air in order to grab his attention.

The fisherman secured his boat into the sand before looking up at me. He had a jollier face than the weathered sailor, which made me feel a little more at ease with him. "And what can I do for you, Miss.?"

"Well," I hesitated before stepping into the ocean. Walking around with wet boots was not something I had anticipated, but if I didn't take the plunge, then the whole conversation I was about to have with this fisherman would appear foolish. "I was wondering if you could tell me the whereabouts of a certain Captain... Jack Sparrow?"

"Well, can't say where he is now, but I do know where you can surely find him."

"And where is that?" Will's voice asked from behind me.

"Singapore." The fisherman stated without a second thought. I tilted my head to the side, somewhat uncertain about what this man was telling me. He shrugged, "That's what I heard. Drunk with a smile on his face. Sure as the tide, Jack Sparrow... will turn up in Singapore."

"Interesting," I pondered to the fisherman's smile. "Thank you for your time." I nodded at the man before turning to face Will and heading for the dock. "Singapore? Will, I really don't want to go all the way to Singapore."

"I doubt Beckett will keep Elizabeth that long..."

"Exactly," I whispered, keeping my eyes set on the stairs before us. For some reason, the mere fact that her name had been mentioned aloud casted an unknown feeling of sadness upon me. It was evident he was happy to have her, which should therefore lighten my heart at seeing him so at ease. So why was I feeling the opposite?

My thoughts consumed me, making me unaware of a growing silence until we reached the top of the stairs. I coughed and shook my head. "Right. To the city."

~.~.~.~.

"I swear that's them," I whispered to Will. Night had now taken over the streets of Tortuga, leaving the them full of wasted pirates. As the evening had passed over, babbling words quickly began to take the place of coherent phrases. We were either told of unrealistic adventures about Jack, or asked how much I was charging. Only a few times would Will be approached by some admiring female, but most only glared at my lingering presence. I simply could not understand why everyone saw me as a whore! Nonetheless, after having our fill with such instances, we were about to make our way from the streets into the pub again when a pair of familiar looking wenches caught out attention. One had red hair, the other blonde. "I can't quite remember their names, but they're definitely the ones that slapped Jack last time we were here."

"As long as you're absolutely certain it's them," Will said with unease. We both knew it was he that could prompt more words from them.

"I am." I straightened myself up a little, more certain now than ever. "Now go talk to them."

With a sigh, he sauntered over to the two girls. They inspected his approach, their eyes lighting up with pure lust. Giggling to one another, they began twirling their hair to show their interest. Then they saw me. Almost immediately their eyes darkened and their faces twisted with hatred. It was probably because it appeared as though Will already had someone with him while I was at fault for taking what they wanted. Their coldness almost made me regret forcing Will to talk with them.

"Do any of you know where Jack Sparrow may be?" Will asked as I rounded to his right side. The blonde's eyes flickered up to him while the red head tried digging holes into my head with her eyes.

"Jack Sparrow?" The blonde's voice taunted Will in an abnormally high voice. She briefly made eye contact with her friend before their attention was directed back at us. Their movements reminded me of snakes, which actually befit their devious eyes.

"I haven't seen 'im in a month," the red head almost pouted.

"Oh, yes, well sorry for trouble-" I began before the blonde completely snubbed me.

"When you find him, will you give him a message?" She advanced toward us, her eyes never trailing from Will's face. As she did, the red head kept her mischievous eyes planted on me. I didn't like this, and was about to express myself when suddenly, for no reason whatsoever, she slapped Will across the face. The mere force of it sent his head flying backwards. I could only stare on in shock with parted lips.

The two whores then simply walked away from us as though some justice had been served. Simply watching their retreating form filled me with such rage that I lurched after them. I wanted to grab at one of them, but Will held me back.

"It's not worth it," he whispered.

"Oh, but I'll make sure Jack gets that message," I spat through gritted teeth. Without meaning to, my glare at the invisible image of Jack lifted to Will. However, seeing his hand covering his cheek immediately drew away my anger. Even though I felt my face soften, he still kept a firm hand upon my shoulder to prevent me from going after those two snakes. I doubted he realized how concerned I suddenly became as my eyes darted all over his face. "Are you hurt terribly?"

"No," he said after a long pause that consisted of him assessing me. He must have deemed me calm enough because he released his hold. "I'm fine. It was a simple slap."

"I'm sorry, Will." I guiltily apologized, my eyes trailing to my shoes. "Perhaps I was wrong about the city."

"Perhaps we should check the pub again as planned. Something may have turned up within the past few hours," Will suggested, his voice sounding even guiltier than mine for some reason. I nodded my approval even though this would be the fourth time we'd been there. Surprisingly enough, different people had squeezed into the building every time.

When we entered the pub everyone was drunk, as expected. We had barely set foot over the threshold when a mug was suddenly headed for my face. I quickly ducked, keeping low until I heard the glass break. Another wet splatter had therefore been added to the collection upon the wall. An ever-growing pile of glass twinkled in the dim lighting at the base of the wall, but fortunately that seemed to be the most dangerous things this time around. There had been a fight the last time Will and I had been here. _That_ took some careful dodging to maneuver through. I was even able to use my sword for a little bit. My opponent hadn't been very threatening though. We exchanged parries for a while before he ran past me and I got to fulfill my dream of smashing a bottle on someone's head.

When my head lifted back to normality, I was greeted with Will's worried expression. The image of it nearly made me laugh at him. _What did he expect to happen while in Tortuga?_

"Go ask the bartender if he knows anything," I suggested in an attempt to distract him from what just happened. "He's probably the least drunk of all them."

He nodded in agreement before leading me to a nearby post. "Stay here." I smiled up at him as he walked off, somewhat glad I wouldn't be wandering from table to table this time. Asking drunken pirates a simple question is hard enough, but it becomes much more difficult when I as a woman ask because the only answers I received were that in which a common wench would.

I looked around the low-lit room, knowing that the later it got outside the more crowded this place will be. With each of our visits, the pirates had multiplied. Not to mention the amount of sober men and woman because less. It was a sorry sight, but then again, the city of Tortuga was a sorry place. The citizens essentially lived off of alcohol just to make their unworthy lives feel somewhat better.

One pitiful man in particular caught my eye. He was sitting in a far-off booth and appeared to somberly be speaking with someone over the brim of his filled mug, though a pillar was blocking my vision from the other half of the table. His darkened sand colored hair was spotted with bits of dried mud, nearly complimenting the faded red color of the uniform he wore. As though sensing my lingering stare, the poor soul began sliding his beverage between his hands. Yet I could not seem to pull my eyes away. A hidden voice was forcing me to stay still, as though this were the moment that had been calling me when by the beach. Then the man lifted lifted his head. The hazel eyes that stared back at me took me all the way back to Port Royal. He seemed familiar. As though I knew this man...

My eyes widened as the pieces in my brain fell together. My breath caught. _Whitaker?_ "It can't be..." I whispered instead of thought. I took a step forward, but something held be back.

"What part of 'stay here' don't you understand?" I heard Will chuckle from behind. I was still staring at the man, too transfixed on all the similarities he shared with Whitaker. The same eyes, hair, nose, and even the jaw line. Whatever words left Will's mouth about what the bartender became muffled in my ears.

_This can't be happening. _I shook my head clear of the similarities. _He's just a random man in for a drink. It couldn't possibly be Whitaker, not when he loathes pirates so much._

Then again, could this have been the reason I felt so determined to journey into the heart of Tortuga?

I felt a shake to my arm so powerful that I was brought out of my trance. "Evelyn? Is everything all right?"

"Yes... yes, of course," I said, forcing myself to look away from the pirate. I attempted to reassure Will with a small smile, but the lift of my lips felt entirely wrong. Everything was too surreal for me to focus very well. "I thought I saw-" I looked back in the direction of the pirate, only to find an empty chair. My shoulders fell with disappointment.

Will followed my gaze, filling with even more concern me when he saw I was staring at nothing. "Are you sure you're fine?"

There was a long pause before I could process his words. "It's nothing. I'm just tired and imagining things," I quickly said before walking towards the door. Will, however, kept a silent gaze on the forlorn chair. He knew I wasn't telling him something. "Can we please go back to the ship? We can continue our search in the morning."

After another tense pause, Will finally faced me to nod his agreement. Hidden deep within his face, though, I could make out some sort of sadness. Confused, I looked back at the empty chair. _Had Will seen him?_ I became panicked at the thought, but quickly discarded the whole idea. _Of course he hadn't! No one had even been sitting there. It was all in my head._

At least, I hoped it was.


	7. A Change in the Wind

**Oh god it's been a while since my last update. How upsetting. I really do love writing this story. I'm just busy all the time. But instead of listing off what I've been doing and why I couldn't update as much as I wanted, I'll just let all of you guys read this nice, long chapter. I mean, you've waited long enough for it :)**

**~MisticLight**

**P.S. If anyone is interested, I started editing "A Dangerous Love". Just as a warning, it'll probably be a slowish process until I become less busy. But I just thought you'd like to know.**

~.~.~.~.

Well, going back to the ship _was_ the plan. But that quickly changed once we realized that there was no ship to go back to. No one had stolen the old vessel; I mean who would take that creaking monster? What had happened was that the ship finally succumbed to the pull of the ocean….and sunk. Since we were docked, the water was only as high as the deck. But still, there was so way we'd be able to sleep here tonight.

"Now what?" I asked after we both stared down at the water-logged ship for several moments. Looking at it now made me even more surprised that we survived the trek from Port Royal.

"I suppose we'll just have to find an inn somewhere." Will replied after a long, thoughtful sigh. I couldn't contain the cringe from forming. An inn in Tortuga (_especially_ in Tortuga) did not sound pleasing at all.

Obviously there were inns on the island. Where else would the sods go with their whores to get some privacy? But sleeping on the street sounded even less pleasant than staying at an inn. "If we must." The annoyance was clear in my voice, but there really wasn't any other option.

We both continued to watch the waves rap against the sunken ship, as if expecting it to suddenly rise up so that we wouldn't have to haul ourselves back into the untamed city. But seeing as it never would, Will led the way back into the heart of Tortuga. My heavy feet trudged behind him. Getting arrested, sailing, and searching for Jack Sparrow all within the same day is quite exhausting.

But not nearly as exhausting as maneuvering through the drunken streets of Tortuga will be.

~.~.~.~.

"What about this one?" I called back to Will once I spotted yet another inn to stay at. "It's called _The Rowdy Rascal_…." I felt my brows furrow at the name. We had spent the last hour searching for someplace to stay that wasn't as….crude as the city. So far, nothing. And now we were far out from the main city, although not too far out as to see an empty inn. It's an impossible thought, really: an empty inn in Tortuga.

"The name doesn't sound too inviting." Will said as he studied the building opposite us. "But this is probably the best we're going to find at this hour."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Let's just go." Honestly, I was just wanted to get off the accursed streets and sleep. So without another word I walked into the slightly chipped building only to emerge in a room looking oddly similar to that of the pub in the city. Only there were less pirates….I guess they're all with their whores right about now.

All the way in the back of the room sat a man with a very small desk in front of him and a book lying atop it. One of the man's hands held a drink while the other propped his head up on the desk. Even from the entrance his eyes looked bloodshot from the exhaustion he was putting off. I was hesitant about speaking with this man, even though he looked like the one who would be assigning us a room. Will, however, wasn't as uncertain as I was. After a quick scan of the room he strode towards the man, with me quickly following after him.

When we reached the desk, the man slowly lifted his eyes to study us. "Two shillings, yer name 'ere," The man set his glass on the floor and pushed the book towards Will before pointing his thumb behind him. "There's a room in the back." He said to us nonchalantly. I could tell he had said this exact same speech multiple times today. Each word dripped with boredom. "Enjoy yerselves."

"What about two rooms?" Will asked after a slight pause. I felt my eyes grow from this mans subtle suggestion.

The bored mans eyes jumped all over my body before looking back at Will. I felt exposed, and my face quickly flushed as the feeling spread. "….Seriously?" His hand plopped on the desk as his face switched to that of disbelief. "Not only would ya pay double the fee, but ya'd leave the lass all alone. Then _I'd _have to pay 'er a visit." Here the man's eyes drifted over to me and a disgusting smile spread across his face. "I'd take 'er back into the farthest room, where I'd quickly shed 'er-"

"That's not what he meant!" I hastily cut him off before his imagination got any farther. The man raised his eyebrow and waited for an explanation. Trying to better play the role of the whore he labeled me as, I puffed my chest out and leaned on Will's shoulder. "What 'e meant was do you 'ave a room the size of two? Because _we_….will need….that….much….space….?" I threw in a small wink and a smile to cover up my awkward speech and confusion at the end. Will and the man just stared at me. "Well do you 'ave one or not?"

The smile on the man's face fell into a frown. "No."

"I suppose we'll just 'ave to settle for the one." I pretended to pout.

"Yes…." Will said as he threw two shillings at the man. "I suppose so." He tried to play along, but his voice sounded a little perplexed. The man handed Will a pen, all the while his questioning brow trained on Will. As Will wrote down his name, the man's eyes flicked over to me. I forced out a small giggle and tilted my head to the side.

"When ya leave, try to remember to cross yer name out." The man told us without even looking at Will's finished signature. I hugged Will's arm as the man watched us closely. I guess he was still questioning our initial question of having two rooms, although I don't entirely see why that would raise such an alarm from him.

Will quickly ushered me back to where the rooms were. I continued to lean on him until we had entered our room and left the man's sight. The room was smaller than I expected, and definitely not as cheery. There was only one small lamp shimmering on a desk. Its small flame gave the dim room a very sleepy feeling. Other than that, there was a rather large bed, a small window with opened curtains, and an uncomfortable looking rocking chair.

"Where did you get two shillings?" I asked Will as he shut the door. I was quite happy speaking without my bad impersonation of a whore anymore.

"Never mind that," He replied, his eyes still a bit wide. "Where did you pull _that_ act from?" Will pointed back at the door, signifying the situation that had just happened.

"Well, I didn't really think that acting like a civilized person would get us anywhere. And the only way these people seem to operate is with drink and….womanly influence. So I just pretended to be like the whores we've seen all day, and, for the most part, I think it worked." I plopped down on the bed, disappointed with the stiffness of it. "Have you noticed that every time we come here, some rash pirate mistakes me for a whore?"

"I did, actually. It may just be because whenever they see a nice looking girl, they assume she must be a prostitute." Will smirked and sat down beside me. I looked down at my hands to hide the blush that was forming upon my cheeks. My head only perked back up when I heard Will uncomfortably cough and continue on with a new subject. "I have an idea for tomorrow."

I twisted my body towards him and tilted my head slightly. "What's that?"

"If we get an early start, we may catch some of the merchants and shrimpers before they head out to sea. We can ask around there before slowly making our way back to the city."

"It sounds like it will work." I placed a finger on my lips and went over his plan in my head to make sure. My eyes stared down at the bed as I thought it over. "Someone on this island must know where Jack is." I lifted my head up, removed my finger, and smiled. "Because I'm perfectly happy living my life without setting foot in Singapore."

Will returned the smile. "I don't think you'll have to worry about going there."

"Good." I replied before a yawn overtook me. Will, concerned as usual, looked over at me. "I'm not tired….honest!" Well, partially honest. I knew I was tired, but my mind just felt so awake. I'd rather just relax on the bed and chat with Will.

"It doesn't matter," Will said as he looked out the small window in the room, almost as if he were trying to tell the time. "We have to get to the docks early in the morning."

"Quite true." I sighed while holding back another yawn and undoing the braid in my hair. Sleeping with it in would only make the braid messier than what it was. My next course of action would be to take off my shoes, seeing as it would be weird to sleep in them.

As I was slipping them off, Will got off the bed and walked towards the rocking chair. I curiously watched him as he pushed the chair across the room and angled it underneath the doorknob. Satisfied with his work, Will turned back only to find my questioning gaze on him. Will rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't trust the inn….or the city for that matter."

I nodded at him before slipping off my other boot and neatly placing the pair of them next to the door. Will, his jacket now off and draped over the rocking chair, followed my lead. I looked down at my vest, the desire to sleep with it off tempting me. But my more sensible side disagreed with my comfort. It would be awkward to sleep with just the white shirt on while Will was in the room.

"Evelyn, take the bed." Will said, drawing my attention to him as he gazed down at the single bed in our room. And now we get to it; the awkward sleeping arrangements. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"I'll be fine sleeping on the ground. You may have the bed." I assured Will. He did most of the talking….and planning….and sailing….and everything else. He deserved it far more than I. "Besides, it not as if the bed is _that _much comfier than the floor it sits on."

I spotted an open area on the floor near the foot of the bed and headed for it, but I didn't get very far. Will interrupted my path and placed both of his hands on my shoulders to prevent me from taking another step. "Evelyn, please." His modest plead danced around my ears while his brown eyes begged me not to deprive him of being a gentleman.

I stared deeply into his eyes, my heart rate picking up a little more. They were so calm and willing to accept whatever I said next, even if his heart wouldn't desire it. I looked away from those eyes and let out a defeated sigh. "Fine." Will's hands slid down my shoulders.

When I looked back at his face, the smile he wore was not of victory but of thankfulness. Our eyes locked and I easily smiled back at him. It was a little hard not to. But then I sauntering back to the bed and left Will where he was, his face curious with what I was doing. I peeled away the top layer of blankets and spread it out on the ground. I could tell by the look on Will's face that he was about to make a fuss of it. So I raised my hand before he could say anything. "Do _not_ protest. I feel guilty enough as it is. The least I can do is let you have the thicker blanket." I turned away from him and walked back towards the window before anything else could be said on the matter.

"Don't." Will muttered as soon as my hand grasped the curtain. I looked back at him with a dazed twist on my face. "The light that shines through in the morning can wake us up."

"First one to wake gets the other one up?" I asked as I plopped back onto the bed.

"Aye." Will smiled at his attempt to sound more like a sailor. He sat cross-legged on the floor and waited for whatever reaction I'd let out. The serious moment we just had was now completely gone.

I threw one of the pillows down at him. "Not funny." I giggled, exposing how comical I actually thought it was. Will caught the pillow and plopped it onto the ground next to him. The witty smile never left his face. "You do realize you weren't supposed to catch that."

Will humorously shook his head. As childish as it sounds, I really wanted the pillow to hit him in the face. But now I just felt embarrassed. So I plopped down onto the pillow behind me and stuffed my legs underneath the second sheet on the bed. There was a long moment of silence as sleep started to set in. While looking up at the ceiling, I suddenly hoped that the bed had been clean since its last occupant.

"Good night, Evelyn." Will's low voice cut through the silence.

I smiled to myself and reached for the lamp beside me. I dimmed it down to its lowest setting and curled closer towards it. "Good night. "

I shut my eyes and let my mind wander to wherever it pleased. As awake as my mind felt a few moments before, it surely made up for with how fast I felt myself falling asleep. The last thing I remembered before drifting fully off was a memory from earlier today. Will and I were still sailing over to Tortuga and I had just given him that necklace….

~.~.~.~.

Will and I left the inn the following afternoon. We didn't get up early like we planned and ended up sleeping in until a few hours before noon. That definitely threw our schedule off. So we rushed to the main room of the inn, only to have a startling surprise awaiting us. No one was here. Even the man who was supposed to be sitting behind the desk was gone. But at least he left out the book so Will's name could be crossed out.

Once that was taken care of, we exited _The Rowdy Rascal _and headed for the barren inner city. And what a sight we got! I believe this is the only time I've even seen this city completely empty. Even the shops, with the exception of the pub, were all locked up. Granted there were a few passed out men lying about, but the city itself was so still. A slight chill ran down my spine as Will and I passed through. We appeared to be the only thing moving.

However, the town got much busier by the time we reached the docks. So busy, in fact, that I briefly thought that Will and I had stumbled into another town altogether. Men were scurrying about, carrying huge crates and readying the ships for their daily outings. Since Will and I had missed the morning rush, there weren't as many ships pulled in at the docks. A few stragglers were all that's left.

"Where do we start?" I asked Will, slight disappointment in my voice. I couldn't fight the side mumble from slipping out. "We'll, never find Jack at this rate."

Will looked over at me from the corners of his eyes "We'll find him." A warming smile crossed his face, but my expression easily wiped that off. "Evelyn, it's only been one day."

"I know….it's just…." I searched for the right words to explain myself, but none came to mind. Frustrated, I sighed and tried a different approach with my impatient manner. "Why does Jack always get us into these messes?" Well, actually, Jack only caused what lead up to us getting arrested. Initially it was Elizabeth who got us wrapped into all this, but I wasn't about to tell Will that.

"I don't think you necessarily have to ask yourself that question." Another smile tried making its way onto Will's face.

Well, I suppose Will was right in that regard. Jack was a bit odd when it came right to it. But every situation he _had_ thrust us in to, Jack also managed to pull us out of. I doubt he'd be able to pull such an escape with this predicament.

Upon seeing my face only soften a little, Will's almost smile rotated into a frown. His attempt at raising my hopes wasn't exactly working. "We need to find him…." Will's voice may have trailed, but I could tell who he was thinking about.

Elizabeth. Why else would he be here if not for her safety? If it wasn't for Beckett (and Jack) they'd both be happily married by now.

Beckett. My blood nearly froze at the thought of him. All the lives he ruined for just one small compass was heartless in his regard. Not to mention the gruesome promises he stitched into his 'negotiations.' If we fail, I get a front row seat at Will's hanging….I can't even think about that ever happening. It only makes me freeze up.

"Come on, let's go." I lightly suggested after an overpowering pause took hold of our conversation. We both had to stop dwelling on these forlorn images before we fully succumbed to them. "Otherwise the rest of the ships….will…."

I don't know when, or how, or even why the sudden thought of Whitaker crossed my mind, but it was enough to tense up my whole body. I was simply thinking about the ships leaving before we could get to them, and then his face, ever so subtly, crossed my mind. It wasn't the clean, jovial face I was used to back in Port Royal, but rather the face of the man I saw at the pub. The grubby, worn-out, tired looking face that probably isn't even Whitaker to begin with.

If this mysterious man _was_ in fact Whitaker, then that means he was alive. But what about Norrington and the rest of the military? Are they still alive? And why haven't they come back to Port Royal yet? My stomach began to churn the longer I thought about all this.

A sudden uneasiness erupted in my gut. I suddenly tossed my head around as this uneasy feeling spread. I half expected Whitaker, or the grubby man, to be standing there, waiting to greet me. But there was no one, just the decently far off city of Tortuga.

"What is it?" Will asked, looking back towards the city as well.

I instantly snapped my head forward. "Nothing!" I replied with a bit too much perkiness in my voice. Will curiously eyed me, but I took off down the wooden planks before he could mention anything. "Hurry up now!" I clapped without turning to face him.

It didn't take long before Will was at my side. "Evelyn, is something wrong? You're acting a bit strange."

"Never better!" I practically sang. But inside I was giving myself a mental slap to the head.

"That's what I'm talking about. You keep-"

"Excuse me, sir." I shouted at a passing man carrying a crate over his head. We can talk more about this later….assuming he remembers. "Do you have any information pertaining to Captain Jack Sparrow?"

The somewhat lanky man eyed me before letting out a small grunt. "Never heard of 'im."

My mouth nearly fell open as he continued on his way without giving us a second thought. "Never heard of….that just seems highly improbable." I eyed the unfriendly looking man curiously, choosing not to follow after him. He didn't look like the sort of fellow you'd want to bug twice. "What do you think?"

"Very…." Will mumbled, but his voice sounded as though he were thinking about another matter entirely. His eyes stared directly into my face, as if searching for the answer of some unmentioned question. I slightly tilted my head and opened my mouth to see if he was feeling well, but Will snapped out of whatever trance he was in before I could do so. "If we stand here all day we'll never get anything accomplished."

He dashed down an adjacent strip of the docks, leaving me standing there. "I see we're both going to play this game." I muttered under my breath, scampering off after him. I suppose it was only fair. If I wasn't going to answer for myself, then why should he? We're both acting a bit strange today.

When I had finally managed to weave myself through the boxes and sporadic batches of sailors, I found Will already chatting with another sailor. This muscular man had a very uneven tan, a very menacing look, and an eye patch over his left eye. He looked rather frightening, and I basically had to force myself to walk over next to Will.

"Jack Sparra' you say?" The man quickly shifted his eyes to me before looking back at the confirming nod from Will. The sailors face twisted with anger. "You wouldn't happen ta be friends o' his, now, would you?" His comment was more of a threat than anything else. Will and I exchanged unsure glances.

"He's more of a…." I piped in, but the menacing-looking sailor shot me a quick glare. "No, we're not friends at all. Me-Merely curious."

"Good." He grunted in response. "If I did know where that weasel was, 'e wouldn't be walking his witty self along fer much longer."

"Oh, I see." I uncomfortably smiled while tugging on Will's arm. "Sorry to disturb you." When we were out of this sailor's earshot, I turned to Will. "Well that was successful…."

The sarcasm in my voice made him laugh. "Don't worry, we'll find someone to help us."

But there was reason to worry. I'm pretty sure Will and I waltzed up and down that dock thousands of times asking people if they knew where Jack was. We may have even asked some people twice, seeing as there weren't too many ships left. At noon, I was basically ready to forget about the docks altogether. Not once had we received a positive, or friendly for that matter, answer. But Will persisted we ask just one more person. I agreed, as long as I got to choose who we asked next.

"That one." I nodded over at a man sitting on a crate diagonally from me. He was sewing some sort of net, giving me reason to believe that he was a shrimper of some sort. He looked friendly enough, but the odd object he was using as a needle brought a strange feeling to my stomach.

Will nodded his head and approached the man. I strayed back a bit, just enough so that I was part of the conversation. Before we could even ask a question, the man look up from his work, a smirk planted across his face. "I was wonderin' when you'd come over. Been walkin' all over dis here dock."

"Yes, we wanted to know if-" Will began

"Jack Sparrow?" His eyes snapped up from his work once more.

"Yes or a fully black ship." I randomly threw in. If Jack was getting us nowhere, perhaps his infamous ship would.

The man picked up his work before answering. "Cannot say about Jack Sparrow. But dere's a island, just south of de straits, where I trade spice for….mmmm….delicious long pork." He paused as of the taste of this treat filled his insides. "Cannot say about Jack. But you find a ship dere. A ship wit' black sails."

"Really?" I excitedly asked, ruining the serious tone in his voice.

"Aye." The man nodded as he finished tying off his net. I smiled back at Will, but he remained unconvinced.

"I find it hard to believe the Jack is without his beloved ship." Will silently said to me before turning his skeptical gaze on the man "Could you take us to this island?"

The man stretched out his back and let out a wholehearted laugh. "Why would you want to _go_ dere?" He continued his laughter despite the lack of laughter on my and Will's behalf. Our confused faces locked onto this man until his laughter died and he absorbed how serious we were. "We're not trading for de long pork today, but we pass de island. If you want to come, follow me."

This shrimper draped the net over his arm and walked back towards his ship. I quickly followed after him with an unconvinced Will trailing behind. We'd find Jack by mid-afternoon, grab the compass, and have him sail us back to Port Royal by tomorrow morning. It's hard to believe this exploit is nearly over! There was _far_ less dangers this time around, but definitely more frustration. Either way, an adventure is an adventure….if you could even call this small expedition an adventure. It was more of a hunting job if you ask me.

A sudden thought crossed my mind. It was a very small detail that Will and I skipped before agreeing to follow this sailor, but it was enough to slow my pace and allow Will to catch up. I doubt he knew the answer to my small question, but it was worth a shot. "Will….what's long pork?"


	8. Pelegostos

**Just as a warning, school has once again started up. I don't really know how busy I'll be this year….so we'll just have to see. This story has reached twenty one favorites! You wouldn't believe how excited I got when this happened.**

**I hope everyone likes author's notes, even if it does involve random babbling. I love writing these notes just as much as I love reviews (*nudge nudge*). AND, since you were noble enough to reach this portion of the author's note, you get a little secret. The second installment of Evelyn's adventure has begun (finally!). This only means that more Evelyn/Will stuff is on the way. Bet you're glad you read the entire authors note now ;)**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

_The Black Pearl_ was only a few kilometers away! I could spot it even without the helpful guide of a telescope. The ship seemed to cast a black smudge in the midst of a peaceful picture. It was a little annoying to look at, but I was nearly bursting with excitement. This elongating adventure was about to be over with!

The shrimper that had picked me and Will up in Tortuga insisted that his brother take us ashore. It wasn't a bad thought, having transportation to the island provided for us, but I feel as though Will and I could have managed on our own. The gesture was kind, but this brother had yet to utter a word. Since he lied within the middle of the ship, the conversations that were attempted only ended with an awkward silence. Eventually, we just stopped talking altogether. Now I was left with sheer boredom.

I sat at the bow of the tiny rowboat, side glancing at the crystal sea every so often. Really the only thing my senses could pick up was the smack of the oars hitting the ocean floor, the smell of the salty sea, and the occasional spray of sea that would hit my face. The only thing that could make this small trek more enjoyable would be some chatter. The quietness of the brother made me feel a bit uneasy, but I kept my complaints to myself. I mean, he was the one rowing us safely to the island.

Just when I thought this small trip couldn't get any longer, the brother paused with his rowing. I made brief eye contact with Will, whose face seemed to mimic the same curiosity I held, before Will bothered to question this random behavior. "What's wrong? The beach is right there?"

Following Will's nod, I looked behind me to confirm how close were to this mysterious island. We were a decent amount away, so why stop now? "C'est trop dangereux."

I whipped my head back to the brother, more in shock of him actually speaking than what language he used. "Beg pardon?"

"C'est trop dangereux, je vous l'avais dit." The shrimper's brother gazed back at me, a sudden softness in his face. His eyes pleaded with me to follow his advice, but he also seemed to understand why we were going on this mission.

"Well that shrimper failed to mention that his brother can't speak English." I said, shifting my gaze from the brother to Will.

A rather frustrated sigh escaped Will. He analyzed the distance between our current position and the island before muttering "Follow me."

He quickly stood up, the sudden movement rocking the boat sideways. I clutched to the wooden edges of the now unstable boat before looking towards Will in a panic. I'm not the strongest of swimmers, and I don't think I'd be able to handle that distance too well. "What are you _doing_?"

The shrimper's brother answered my question with a greeting I recognized. "Bon voyage, monsieur."

"Will, I don't think just jumping in will be of any help." I began my protest, only to have my claim disregarded. My words were now spilling out at a fast rate. "Can't we just think of something else? We don't even know what he's saying! You can't just assume that-"

Will dove into the water before I could even finish my thoughts. Small droplets from the ocean rained down upon my face. _So much for listening... _I sarcastically thought as I angrily wiped my damp face with my sleeve. I really didn't want to jump in after him, but Will told me to follow. I sighed at the realization of having no say in the matter. _Why does everything have to be so difficult in the Caribbean?_

"Et mademoiselle." The brother muttered as I prepared myself to follow after Will. I nodded his way just before diving into the water.

Although the cool water was a relief to my burning skin, swimming was definitely not something I wanted to do today. All that Will and I had to do was grab Jack, drag him back to Port Royal, free Elizabeth, and be on our merry way as free people. _But apparently Jack is a trickier to find than what we thought!_ I glowered in between strokes. _Jack is so going to regret running off like this._

Well, just as I predicted, the immense space that lied between the rowboat and the island had a far greater effect on me than it did on Will. He reached the beach within a matter of minutes. I, on the other hand, had to fend of the onslaught of the waves. Each movement of the ocean pressed down upon my shoulders, giving me the illusion of sinking. Wearing clothes and heavy boots didn't exactly help either, but at least I was wearing pants instead of a skirt. _That _would have been an even greater struggle.

It was a treacherous battle, but eventually I made it to the soggy banks of the island, and none to please at that. A wave had tossed my to the ground as soon as my shaky feet hit the soil. My hair had formed a brown curtain in front of my eyes, and my tunic was so drenched that I couldn't remove it from my skin. "Bloody Jack," I cursed under my breath, flipping my hair back so that I could actually _see _where I was walking. New water droplets were running down my face, only causing more annoyance to stir within me. "Making us sail all over this godforsaken sea. He better not put us through any more trouble or I _swear_ I'll-"

"Jack!" Will called, interrupting my rant. "Jack Sparrow!" He was a good distance away from me, shouting up to the deck of the _Pearl_. My eyes glided all over the massive ship's dark features as I headed over to Will. It was just how I remembered it; expect the sails were now patched up. The top portion was a bit sun kissed, but that was only because the tide had gone out. The keel of the ship always lied beneath the water, so it was a bit peculiar to actually see a shell-infested, grimy bottom. It wasn't what I expected and, quite frankly, was the most pleasant thing to look at.

"It's almost like a ghost ship." I felt Will's eyes turn to be due to me blurted statement, but I kept my eyes upon the ship. Something was wrong with this image before me. Why would Jack leave his beloved ship like this: beached upon the shores of a foreign island? None if it made sense to me. However, one this _was_ certain. "Will, I don't think Jack's here."

I shifted my gaze towards him, only to see his self-composed façade transform into one wrinkled with worry. His soft brown eyes shined with desperation as ran along the perimeter of the daunting ship. "Marty! Cotton!"

"Will!" I cried, chasing after my distressed friend. "There's _nothing _here! Please stop! We need to think of a better plan." Will didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon, so I reached out and pulled him back by the elbow. I think we were both surprised by how much force I was able emit, but I kept my face nonchalant. "Just stop!"

Will glanced from me towards _The Black Pearl_, grief evident on his face. "Anybody?"

I blocked out Will's tone of voice by shutting my eyes. His thinking process was so obvious! It appeared as though Will were just a giant novel; one whose entirety was filled with the name 'Elizabeth.' But if I let every single thing get to me, we'd be getting no where. And besides why should I care? "Are you quite finished?"

I could feel the muscles of Will's arm relax as soon as I spoke. However, that could mean anything. "There's no one here."

"I am quite aware of that." I snapped back, opening my eyes up into a glare. Will sunk down a little under my heated gaze, but I didn't quite lighten up. He was being an idiot. "I suggest that we split up to cover more ground."

"Evelyn, you've never been here before. I don't think splitting up is the best choice."

"And I suppose you can think of anything better?" I released his elbow and waited for some sort of retort by him, but nothing came out. _You make it quite impossible to hold a grudge against you, William Turner._ A hefty sigh let out most of my spite. "I'm sorry, Will. This is all just so frustrating." I glowered towards the ship. "Jack's certainly in for a nasty surprise if ever we catch him."

I could hear Will chuckle, even if it was a bit forced, as I took in the ship once more. "I understand, but I have to agree with you on one regard."

"What?" My face softened with bewilderment as soon as I freed the _Pearl_ from my cold gaze.

"Don't be so startled by a compliment. You're always full of bright ideas." He smiled, causing a rosy blush to spread across my cheeks. I modestly cast my eyes down and allowed a smile to dance across my face. I can't even recall ever being praised in such a way. Perhaps Will thinks of me more than what I thought…._Don't fool yourself with such foolish fantasies, Evelyn. _I warned myself. But how can I stop these images when all they do is make me blissful?

Will, seemingly embarrassed by his flattering, didn't continue on with his thought. I coughed, a slightly gauche interruption to the stillness, so our minds could be pulled back to the present. "You were saying?"

"Yes," Will briefly paused in our conversation; almost as if he were trying to sort out his thoughts. _ I wonder what he was thinking about... _"We're not going to get anything done by just standing here. If we split up, we can cover more ground."

I nodded, "Where and when should we meet up again?"

"Definitely here. _The Black Pearl_ is a large enough thing to spot on the island. As for the time," He looked to the sky, one hand encircled just above his eyebrows in order to provide a shield against the sun. I copied this motion as he pointed out the suns rout. "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west."

"So it is taught…"

"So," Will continued, brushing off my sarcastic comment with a small smile. "I believe the best time to meet would be just after noon. That shall provide us with a few solid hours to search and still leave us with enough time to prepare for tonight."

It never really crossed my mind that we may have to stay the night here. I bit my lip, but knew better than to protest this. I mean, where else were we to go? "Well the _Pearl _gives us plenty of shelter. So really it's only a matter of finding provisions."

"Aye. So keep a weather eye open for some native fruits."

"I shall!" I giddily chimed in; although, I couldn't help but wonder just how long we were going to have to stay on this mountain. Just by looking at the thick jungle exterior, I knew that the hiking would prove to be difficult. Not to mention the set of mountains peeking from just over the tops of the trees. Wherever a mountain lies, there's sure to be a gorge. I just hope Jack didn't pull off getting himself killed in this inexplicable island.

When I turned back around, I was greeted with the now content face of Will. I scrutinized his face, just as I assumed he was doing with mine. We were both about to face a foreign island, alone, in search of a pirate that neither of us was fond of at the current moment. The heaviness of this mission was clearly weighing down on Will, at least. His brows were set closer together than usual, and they were angled downward. His eyes still had their solemn tone to it, but also the new emotion of discovery. Perhaps he's just now taking in the scenery or maybe the thought of this journey not yet being over dawned upon him.

Except that's not what I wanted this discovery of his to be about. Deep inside, buried within the secrets of my heart, I wanted…something else.

"A-At any rate," I stuttered, taking the first step away from the ship "I think it would be best if started out now. Easier to see where those fruit may be lurking. Haha." My uncomfortable laughter prompted Will to follow for a little while, but he paused in front of a less dense opening of the island.

"I'll start here." He said, skeptically eyeing the vast green that lie before him. Will then turned his head and nodded farther down the beach. "Walk along the coast some more before heading in. That way we'll be sure not to run into each other."

I nodded in agreement, but didn't begin my portion of the quest. I had this unsettling feeling deep within the pit of my stomach; almost as if my body were warning me against some sort of danger that was about to cross my path. I hadn't had this feeling in a long while. Not since Captain Barbossa and his unforgivable pirates had captured me and Will. I never liked that feeling, and my hatred certainly hadn't changed since.

I took a hesitant step forward, but it wasn't to follow along the shore lines. It was so that I could perfectly position myself in front of Will so that I could look directly into his eyes. So many emotions had crossed them within these last couple of minutes, and my action only caused a new one to arise. One I had yet to learn the true meaning of.

Standing on the tips of my toes, I encircled my arms around Will. The sickening feeling within my stomach grew evermore as soon as I could feel his arms wrapped around my waist. Something was gnawing the inside of my mind; something I felt I desperately needed to say before heading off, but the words I truly wanted to say wouldn't make themselves known.

"Please be safe." I whispered into his ear more emotionally than I had originally planned.

"I can promise you that." I felt the promising nod of his head upon my shoulder. If there was one thing I learned upon meeting William Turner it was that he always kept his promises.

A small stirring welled up inside me, lingering more in my hearth than any other part of me. It was a warm, inviting feeling, but also one that seized my mind. Without much thinking, I placed a small kiss upon his slightly unshaven cheek. I couldn't recall a time I had done something so rash, but I held no regrets. In fact, although feeling only a tad embarrassed, I felt myself glowing inside.

My hands were a bit shaky as I backed away from Will, and I could just tell that my cheeks were a redder tone than usual. I allowed myself to look into his now lighthearted face before taking my leaving and heading up the shore. I hadn't gone too far when I heard a familiar voice calling my name. I paused in my tracks, but didn't walk back to Will. If I did…I don't think I'd leave.

"You should know that…" Will, although smiling, seemed a bit torn about something. There was a crease along his brow and his eyes were darting everywhere. After a lengthy pause, Will sighed with defeat. "…that you may want to keep your blade up. This island is rather…confusing."

"Oh, I assure you," I replied, taking my sword out and forcing the frown that wanted to cross my face. "This thing isn't leaving my sight."

We exchanged smirks before dejectedly heading off in opposite directions. I wanted to stay with him as much as he wished to stay with me.

~.~.~.~.

My blade glittered in the afternoon sun. Or rather the late afternoon sun. After trudging through the jungle, my mind boggling with all my recent encounters and emotions, I immediately ran back to the abandoned black ship only to find it just as barren as I'd left it. I figured that I had just beat Will back, but that was about an hour ago…_So where is he?_

Something wasn't right.

More stricken with worry than common sense, I pushed my way into the opening I had seen Will enter when we departed. The trees were much thicker here than my previous experience. The hack marks in some of the plants proved to me that Will had been here, but where was he _now?_

My pace was quickening the longer I walked. Where was he? Lost? Hurt? Or perhaps I'd just missed him when I walked in the jungle, and now _he _was the one waiting for me? I wanted to go back, praying that this last scenario would be the one to become true, but then something caught my line of vision. It was a sword.

Drawing that of my own, I rushed over to the fallen weapon. It appeared to be the one Will used, but I'm not an expert in detecting weapons. It could belong to anyone. But my rather apprehensive thoughts were screaming at me, telling me that this was Will's sword.

"Whose are you?" I squinted at weapon, analyzing its every detail.

A sudden stirring in the foliage across from me drew my attention. I was expecting some type of animal to come at me, but what actually revealed itself was far more startling. Without delay, I pushed myself onto my feet. My wide eyes gazed across face after grimy face of natives. Their face was splattered with shades of green and read, which probably explains why I hadn't taken notice of them before. These wild men stared back at me with just as much interest, but the didn't seem too threatening.

"Oh…hello there…" I hesitantly smiled. Their stares made me very uncomfortable, but there was nothing I could do. They had me surrounded. "You haven't seen my friend anywhere, have you?" I gestured towards the possible, although probable, sword of Will which lied within my left hand. The natives still stared back, their eyes filled with questions I could not understand. I was getting rather annoyed with them now. "First that brother of the shrimper, and now these guys; does _anybody_ speak English these days?"

Although just as curious, each of the natives began to lower a sort of spear towards me. The out of date weapons appeared sharp, and I did not wish to feel their sting. I ferociously shook my head. "I didn't mean any offence!"

The inquisitive faces that once surrounded me were now placed with determined, cold stares. They began to shake their spears more vigorously, to which I quickly responded by readying the two swords I held in my hands. The circle around me was getting tighter, but I was ready for them. I swiped at one of the spears with my right hand, easily dulling its tip. The owner of this particular weapon looked to the man directly behind him, pure bafflement upon his face. An accomplished smile spread across my face, but it quickly retreated once a hollow tube was pointed in my direction. I eyed it curiously, but then I felt this stinging in my neck.

I dropped both swords and reached for my neck. I pulled a sharp, well crafted dart out of my skin. Its colors were decently vibrant, but it was clearly aged. The longer I looked at the stinging tool, the more that seemed to be produced. Instead of seeing one dart in my hand, I was seeing six fuzzy little darts.

My head was spinning, and my knees desperately wanted to cave in from underneath me. Something wasn't right. They must have… "Ow!" I shared a glance with the four spinning natives directly in front of my. They were eyeing me with anticipation, and I could swear that a smile twitched at the corners of their mouth as I fell to the forest floor.

That's when the silent darkness came.


	9. Cannibal Island

**Wow do weeks fly by! I seriously thought that I updated last week. Haha, I suppose not! Sorry about that guys….have a long chapter. Happy Holidays!**

**~MisticLight**

**P.S. I just discovered that there are never before seen scenes on the blue-ray versions of "Pirates of the Caribbean." So, since I lack a blue-ray machine, I went onto youtube and found them! These are just the scenes from the second movie. Tell me if you think I should incorporate some of them (especially the Liar's Dice scene….that one is incredible and _way _more intense). So here it is! Enjoy! youtube****.com/watch?v=B4-dRgNHLcI **(Part 1) and youtube**.com/watch?v=4q1Ec76b5pE&feature=related **(Part 2).

~.~.~.~.

A stumble was what jolted my blank mind back into reality. Strangely enough, my feet weren't even moving! My eyes flew open in a panic, but I instantly wanted to shut them because of the sight I saw. Directly in front of me was a grimy, face-painted, bushy haired native. Trailing behind him was and even greater group of unfriendly looking natives. I attempted to scream, but it was never heard because of the cloth loosely tied around my mouth. Because of my sudden actions, a flash of pain instantly pounded in my head.

Against the hammering of my head, I was able to somewhat formulate a plan: push the native back, run a fair distance away, remove this vulgar gag, draw my sword, and prepare for an attack. That would have been my plan, had I not been precariously draped over someone's shoulder. I tried to squirm off of this mysterious person's back, except I hadn't quite counted on my hands being tightly bound together.

I began to struggle even more. My legs thrashed about, making my captor angrily tighten his grip upon me with an aggravated grunt, while my hands pounded down upon his bare back. A few pounds later and they were suddenly thrust forward by a rope I hadn't quite noticed before. I harshly glared at this native, but he took nothing of it and merely smiled back. My subjugator heatedly shouted at the native, but I didn't recognize a word of it. Although I couldn't quite understand it, I could tell by his tone that he was _not_ happy. To further prove my theory, his grip upon my waist suddenly tightened. This only fueled my energy to be free.

This continued for a while: I kept up my relentless thrashing while the man holding me angrily shouted at the native behind him. At first the native protested back, but eventually his irritated shouts were directed solely at me. I completely ignored them, considering I didn't even understand what he was saying, which only made his shouts louder and more frequent. Soon the foul attitude spread throughout the entire group of natives, and everyone began screaming out their own protests. The noise from this clan became so overpowering that I hardly noticed when we entered their village! Everything was in complete chaos.

At some point, the man carrying me became so fed up that he tossed me onto the ground. I fell down hard on my back, but immediately scrambled to my feet and gazed across the mob of irate natives. One native in particular drew my attention. He was a bit taller and far more muscular than the rest of his tribe. Sweat creased the top of his brow, and his darker features emphasized the unpleasing expression on his face. His black eyes coldly stared right through me while the scowl he wore viciously longed to rip me to shreds.

With fear now overpowering me, I began to back away from him until the rope protruding from my bound hands tightened into a straight line. The distance between me and the clan of natives was only a few meters, but that didn't stop the scowling native from harshly yanking on his end of the rope. A sharp pain engrossed my wrists as the force from the tug shot me forward. My face quickly made contact with the dirt floor. The friction of the ground caused my gag to slip from my mouth and loosely dangle around my neck. I tried pushing myself to me feet again, but the scowling native snatched my left shoulder with a satisfied chuckle and forced me to kneel in the dirt before him. He then spun me around so I was now facing in the same direction he was. Although I was quite peeved with the manner in which I had just been handled, I found myself gaping rather than protesting.

"Jack?" I blinked in confusion as the familiar pirate strode over to where I was. He had paint all over his face, a rather large hat, and a strange feather-type scepter in his left had. Jack took a quick glance at my bewildered face before scrutinizing the angry mob before him. "Jack, it's Evelyn Pierce! Will and I came to find you." Jack continued to disregard me, which only made my mood turn sour. "You _do _remember who I am, don't you?"

"Wa-say kohn?" Jack asked without as much of a glance my way. I shot my eyes into a glare. I wanted to trot right up there and slap him across the face, but the pressure on my shoulder made that dream impossible.

"Een dah-lah _spemsala_ lam eeseepi kay-sha koo." The native holding me down aggressively said while applying more force to my shoulder. I winced as my left shoulder was pushed until it was uneven from my right.

I glanced up at Jack with, what I assume, was half pleading and half heated eyes. "Tell him to stop! Can't you see he's purposely hurting me?" Jack's eyes flickered my way, but still he did nothing to ease my suffering. Now I was even more agitated with him. I freed my shoulder from the native's grasp and interjected whatever gibberish Jack was now saying. "I _know _you saw their brutality upon me few moments before, and all from the comfort of your little chair. The least you could do is allow my shoulder some peace." As if on queue, the native snatched my shoulder and yanked me back, this time with fingernails drilling into my flesh.

"Paka ala shoo-koo." I hear the native spit through gritted teeth. "Smalay-spemsala lama shoo-"

"Kay-lay lam." Jack interrupted the native. "Sha shoo-koo lam kohn say-shoop."

The native's hand instantly snapped away from me. Since he used an unnecessary amount of force when holding me down, I could still feel the imprint his hand. There was just less pain.

My shoulder singed with the happiness of freedom, however I was only given a few moments of tranquility. Just as quickly, I was hoisted up by a sharp tug at my elbow and pushed towards Jack. He then caught me and helped me regain my balance. I looked back at the crowd of natives, astonished to see their once angered faces masked with loyalty.

"Jack, what did you say to-" Without any warning Jack stuffed the gag back into my mouth. I huffed my offense and angrily pulled the fabric back down. "I don't know what you're doing, Jack Sparrow, but-"

"Shut it!" Jack harshly shushed, replacing the gag and tightening its knot. I aggressively jabbed my elbow back at him, but his quick-reacting hands caught it before any damage could be done. "I wouldn't do that, love. They're quite protective of their chief." Jack nodded towards the gathering natives before quickly adding, "Well…in a sense."

Jack then proceeded to take a step towards the crowd, leaving me behind with wide eyes. _Chief?_

"Non-say eseepi smalay-lama. Lam piki-piki. Lam eensy weensy." Reaching behind and pulling my forward, Jack cupped his hands around my arm and tried to make it seem as small as possible. He then bent down and lifted my foot. Despite the hoping I did in order to remain balanced, Jack showed off my leg. Again he made it seem smaller than what it actually was. He abruptly disregarded my foot and allowed it to plop back onto the ground. "Non ball licky-licky ku. Wa-say lay shoo-koo henda. Savvy?"

The smile Jack wore spread throughout the crowd—even to my 'friend,' the scowling native—and a cheer rang out amongst them. "Shoo-koo henda!" They began chanting while I was suddenly pulled back by two of the natives, one of which included my little 'friend.' He grabbed a hold of my shoulder tighter than what was necessary, but at least he didn't appear _too_ upset with me now. Or at least he hid his true emotions rather well.

Amongst the 'Boom-soo-booms' and drumbeats, I was hauled all the way back to Jack's giant throne and forced to sit down at the foot of it. Jack approached shortly after, made a slightly deranged expression, and stepped around me in order to sit upon his throne. I kept my place on the ground: legs crossed and head resting on my hands. Since that gag was still placed in my mouth, I couldn't speak. If I were able to talk I'd be firing off a million questions at Jack. So instead I settled for gathering up the rope protruding from my bound hands.

"You made quite then entrance there, Evelyn." Jack said after a momentary pause. "Far better than what William's was." I straightened my back and spun around to face him. I must have appeared a bit wild because Jack made another bothered face before continuing. "Yes I saw him. No need to get all worked up about it."

I lowered my eyes into another glare.

"He's safe, don't worry. Far better off than what we're about to be."

In confusion, I tilted my head and looked Jack over. He didn't have time to answer my unasked question because two women unexpectedly approached their chief, carrying a necklace. It wasn't until they sidestepped me that I noticed the necklace was made up entirely of toes. I gagged in disgust as they placed it around Jack's neck. He mumbled his thanks and the two women walked away as quietly as they had approached.

I turned back to face Jack once more, instantly regretting it. He reached down, picked up one of the toes, analyzed it, and took a small bite of its nail. I had to look away before I threw up. Apparently Jack noticed this because something very small and hard flicked against my cheek. My first assumption, and fear, was that Jack spat the toenail at me. _Jack wouldn't do that...would he? _I spun back around, choking when I saw the smile he wore. I whacked hard him across the legs with my arm and scooted farther away. _Who does that?_

Refusing to associate myself with that disgusting pirate anymore, I kept my eyes trained on the natives. Most of them were performing a strange dance, but some were creating a massive fire pit in the center of their small village. _Whatever they're up to can't be good._

"No, no. Oi! No, no." Jack suddenly called, making me jump. He rushed at the fire pit, all the while scolding the natives. Apparently _he_ knew what was going on. "More wood. Big fire. Big fire!" He made the motions of a grand fire so that the natives would understand what he was getting at. I looked between Jack and the natives in utter confusion. "I am Chief. Want big fire. Come on!"

Jack watched his confused subjects for a while before turning around. He winked at me then turned his attention towards the natives stationed behind us. "Oi. Maboogie snickel-snickel. Tout de suite! Come on. More wood." Our guards immediately followed their chief's orders and ran at the largest log in the pile of wood.

As soon as everyone's attention was drawn to the log being moved, Jack hoisted me up by the elbow. "Run!" Jack pulled me across the bridge directly behind the throne and into a secluded part of the village. He led me to another long wooden bridge, but I stopped in my tracks. My sudden motion snapped Jack back to where I was.

"What is it _now_?" He angrily snapped at me. I tugged at the gag around my mouth, to which Jack sighed with agitation. Although clearly unhappy, he ran behind me and began working at the knot. Jack mumbled as he worked, "I don't see why this can't wait until we're a safe distance _away_ from this hell-hole."

"Stick that dirty, foul tasting cloth in your mouth and _then _tell me why it can't wait." I replied as soon as the gag was removed. I then began to gnaw at the rope tightly wrapped around my wrists.

Jack jogged ahead of me, his hands flying around as they usually did as he ran. "No time, keep moving." I slowly followed after him, still attempting to free my hands. Jack looked back at me, probably to make sure I was following, and rolled his eyes. "We'll get it off when we reach the ship!"

"What about Will? We can't just leave him!" I quickly scanned the area, both keeping a look out for natives and seeing if Will was possibly nearby.

"I assure you that Will can get out of whatever mess I've thrown him into. Now come on!"

With an aggravated sigh I sprinted after Jack. We ran over numerous bridges, through a small patch of trees, and finally into the heart of another village. I was running out of breath from all the downhill running and was quite pleased when Jack momentarily stopped to search the village.

"What are you looking for?" I asked between pants.

"We need to escape from those cannibals somehow." Jack said matter-of-factly, starting to run again.

I forced myself to follow after Jack until I was directly behind him. Although my chest felt like ice from all the unexpected running, I had to ask the horrifying thought Jack planted in my head. "Cannibals? Are you certain?"

"Quite 'certain.'" Jack mocked me. I brushed off his childish behavior and waited for an explanation. "Well they've eaten half me crew, so that's one form of proof for you. Secondly, they believe me to be a God and plan to honor me by releasing me from this." Although running, Jack waved his hands about his body to demonstrate his point. "I don't find that honorable at all really."

"Well that's rather unfortunate for you, but why did you drag me into this?"

"_You_ dragged yourself into this, love." Jack smirked as he climbed up a pile of rocks. I was right behind him with a nasty look upon my face, so when he abruptly stopped in his tracks, I crashed directly into his back. "Whoa!"

Jack stumbled forward, but I quickly yanked him backwards prevent him from falling. "Well that's just brilliant." I sarcastically muttered. "What kind of chief doesn't know his own village?"

Jack spun around, pretending not to hear my statement, and headed for a tall bamboo pole we passed. He picked it up and happily examined it. "We can launch ourselves across using _these_."

"Are you mad?" I questioned, causing a frown instantly formed upon his face. "There's no way we'd be able to lift that, let alone launch across that huge gorge. Why can't we just backtrack and find a different rout?"

"Because, Evelyn," Jack agitatedly said, throwing the pole down. "Those cannibals will be here any second now, and I'd rather not bump into them. Savvy?"

"Well!" I scoffed, kicking up dirt with my shoe. "Perhaps his_ godliness_ would like to point out where we could locate some rope? Hmm?"

Jack looked around before happily pointing at a hut and running inside. I entered after him, surprised to find the hut full of modern equipment. "What is all this?"

"Funny," Jack shrugged as he rummaged through a pile of utensils. "I thought an educated woman such as yourself could detect imports when she saw them."

I scrunched my nose and shook my head at Jack, who merely smiled back before going returning to his pile. Shortly after he produced a coil of rope and ushered me out of the hut. I don't know what prevented Jack from not exit seconds after me, but when he did finally emerge, he saw me being held back by a group of extremely angry natives.

"Oh, bugger." He stated after taking it all in.

I looked him squarely in the eye. "Yeah….now what?"

Jack smiled at me and then to the rest of the natives, threw the rope to the floor, and sprinkled the can of seasoning he held onto his armpits. The natives looked to one another in confusion while I just lowered my head in shame. "A little seasoning, eh?"

We are completely and utterly dead.

~.~.~.~.

Now we're back where we started, except with a bit more security: Jack being tightly fastened to the bamboo pole he found earlier and me having hands tied to the top of a separate bamboo pole by the extended rope of my bound hands. The festive dancing and drum beats from before continued on as though Jack and I never escaped. This sickened me. Well that, and Jack being placed over the pile of awaiting wood.

My eyes danced around the joyous natives. The one that frightened me the most was the one painted as a skeleton. He was the main dancer in this ritual and came awfully close to my face a few times. There really wasn't anything I could do to ward him off. My hands were of no use and when I tried to kick him away the first time, I received the wrath of a wooden plank across my legs. So the next time he came over, I pushed my head back as far as I could and looked in the opposite direction.

Only when a man ran in carrying fire did the crowd's cheers die down. He trotted right through the crowd towards the wood pile. "Ahhh! Fye-fye!" He chanted, the crowd echoed this while beaming at the fire with anticipation. Hungry eyes watched as the torch was slowly lowered onto the fire pit.

I winced away and squeezed my eyes shut. The last thing I want to do is watch someone die; _especially_ a, mostly, friend of mine. The smell that would shortly rise into the air and the possible sound of them gnawing on bones would be enough for me. Perhaps I'd pass out with disgust, if that's even possible. But what will they do once Jack's gone? Would they eat me too? Well, I suppose my fate doesn't really matter….as long as Will finds his way out of this forsaken jungle, I'd die happy.

"Da latzo! Da litozo!" A young voice erupted above the ceremonial noises. My eyes slowly opened. All eyes were trained upon a teenage-looking boy. His entire body was covered with paint and a bone of some sort pierced through his chin. Just the sight of it made me squeamish. "Hay la paka say-say."

Now every set of eyes snapped towards Jack, mine included. I gazed on in confusion, but everyone else waited for what Jack had to say. "Well go on, go get them. Hay ala!"

The natives chanted out Jack's final words and followed the boy across the bridge. The man holding the fire simply dropped the torch to the floor and moved on. He didn't care to notice how close he was to the pile of wood, but Jack and I certainly did.

"No, no. Oi! No, no!" Jack demanded, trying to make at least one of his followers stay behind. However, none complied and the two of us were left deserted in the middle of a once festive gathering. "Not good."

"Trying blowing on it, like a candle." I suggest from my post, my eyes never leaving the torch.

Jack heeded my advice, but the unimaginable happened. The extra wind Jack created only spread the fire onto the pile of dried twigs. A fire blazed up, so Jack began to blow even faster. Seeing as that got him nowhere, he looked to me, "Any more brilliant ideas?"

"Hold on! I'll be over in a second." I encouraged, twisting myself around to face the pole. I analyzed my situation, biting my lip when I took in its difficulty. "….Maybe."

"That doesn't bloody help at all!" Jack cried back. However, I was no longer paying him any attention. A plan had entered my head, and I had to carry it out before it was too late for Jack.

When the cannibals stuck the pole into the ground, they carved the bottom into a point so as to make its entry into the earth a bit easier. Therefore, the bottom was the weaker point of this pole. This lied in my favor! For the first time today luck was in my side! I began kicking at the pole's base with all my might. Eventually my relentless efforts paid off because the pole became detached from the base in a matter of minutes. My next issue was making the bamboo more portable.

I quickly scanned my surroundings until my eyes rested upon the throne. After dragging the pole over to the chair, I lifted the heavy thing and smashed it upon the throne. The bamboo cracked. I swung at the chair a second time, and this time the pole flew off. Now I only had a small piece attached to the rope that was attached to my hands.

Without skipping a beat, I spun around to help Jack. However, he was already coming for me! Despite the gravity of this all, I couldn't help but laugh at the manner in which he now walked. He had successfully freed his feet, but his torso remained bound. Since the pole was tied to him, he had to crouch over until the pole lied flatly across his back in order for him to get anywhere. It was all rather comical, really.

"Quit your snickering and follow me." Jack ordered. I obeyed his command, but I couldn't help but surpass a few more chuckles.

We trotted through the jungle at almost the same pace we did when escaping the first time. Along the way, Jack struggled to be rid of his rope while I continuously pressed the question of what the boy had said. For some reason, Jack was rather dismissive and refused to answer it.

It wasn't until we entered a rather familiar set of huts that Jack became so frustrated with me that he finally offered an answer. "Will and the crew escaped from their cages, savvy?" He crawled his way onto a small rock wall and walked along its edge.

"So you sent the natives _after _them?" I asked in a fluster. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"It was either us or them, love. And you weren't the one about to be cooked!" Jack hopped off the wall specifically to glare at me. "Now will you _shut it_?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but that's when we both noticed a small child gawking at us with a fork and knife in his hands. Jack and I made brief eye before he shuffled over to the boy and confiscated the knife. The child ran off and Jack brought the blade to the ropes around his chest. He was about to make the first incision when something caught my eye.

"Umm, Jack?" I uneasily said. "We still have a small problem." Jack looked up from his work and gazed at the two women standing before us. They each had a bowl of fruit with them, and did not appear pleased in the least.

"Take this and find another way out." He said, shoving the knife at me.

I looked down at the dirty utensil, hesitant about leaving Jack behind. "But how do you expect to escape?"

"Evelyn," Jack nearly laughed. "Have you learned nothing?" I blankly stared at him, not quite getting his point. Jack pouted, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." Before anything else could be said, Jack charged at the two women while screaming at the top of his lungs.

I didn't stick around to see what happened next. Following Jacks final demand, I back tracked through the jungle. Alone. With a bunch of cannibals on the loose.

Perfect.

~.~.~.~.

My entire jog through the jungle could be summed up with one word: paranoia. Every few meters or so I'd stop in my tracks and glance around me. What if there was a native lurking in the trees? One thing's for sure, I would _not _be caught defenseless. Long ago I had freed my hands and tossed the rope with the bamboo tied to it aside. Although my wrists pumped with the blood that had been denied for hours now, I tightly clutched the knife with both of my hands.

The snap of a twig drew my attention. Without pausing in my running, I looked over my shoulder at all the possible hiding spots in the trees. In reality, I should have continued to face forward because I had only just started my search of the jungle when I completely collided with someone. With a small shriek, I jumped back and held the knife at the ready.

However, the face before me was that of a friend, not a foe. My heart pounded with every type of emotion.

"Will?" I dropped the knife as shock absorbed me. The relief etched across both our faces was enough for us to exchange smiles. "You're safe, thank God!" I rushed at him with a quick embrace. "Where were you? ...And why are you soaking wet?"

"I was with the crew." Will nodded his head behind him to the small clan of pirates. I recognized most of their faces from the last adventure we shared. "But that's not important. Where were you? You look as though you've been through quite a bit."

"I was with Jack….it's a long story." I shifted my eyes back and forth as the memories came flooding in. It had been quite the day.

Will slowly nodded, his eyes gazing across my face with concern. He opened his mouth to say something, but Gibbs suddenly crossed between us. "Not that I hate reunions, but we really must get back to the ship before we get ourselves caught."

Will and I nodded in unison and before sprinting through the jungle. I felt safer now that I wasn't alone, and my mind was more at peace knowing that Will hadn't been harmed. Plus it was exciting to be reunited with olds friends again! I hadn't quite realized how much I missed them until they were standing directly in front of me.

When we finally emerged onto the beach with _The Black Pearl _beautifully perched upon the sand, I nearly jumped with joy. I beamed at Will which caused him to chuckle. Finally! We made it.

The only strange part was that there was a small man shouting up at someone. A tall, skinny man then appeared at the rail of _The Pearl_. I could've sworn I've seen them before. However, my main concern at the moment was to escape this island. I'll ponder over this small dilemma later.

"Excellent! Our work's half done." Gibbs praised the smaller pirate.

"We done it for you," The pirate sweetly said. "Knowing you'd be coming back for it." I rolled my eyes at this blatant lie. We all know he and the other pirate were attempting to steal the ship.

Gibbs just ignored the statement all together and immediately took to commanding the crew. "Make read to sail boys!"

"What about Jack?" Will shouted above him. "I won't leave without him."

"But Will, he could be _anywhere_ by now!" I offered my hand at the conversation. Although Gibbs didn't outwardly show it, I could tell he was on my side for this. We needed Jack, badly, but there was no way I'd take another step into that jungle ever again.

A shout from behind Will and I caught everyone's attention. I quickly spun around just in time to see Jack emerge from around the corner of the island, running in that deranged fashion of his. Will and I looked to each other with smiles planted on both of our faces. But just as quickly our smiles disappeared once the giant herd of natives rounded the corner after Jack.

"Uhhh." I gaped at the crowd, not knowing what to think of the whole thing.

"Time to go." Will said, sliding towards the ship.

Gibbs's face clearly displayed his fear, as did his voice when he finally did release orders. "Cast off those lines!"

All at once we charged at the netting hanging off of the side of the ship. I hopped on shortly after Gibbs but before Will, who tried to help me up but I insisted that I had everything under control. I enjoy Will's friendship and courtesy, but there are things I can accomplish by myself.

As soon as the railing came into my grasp, I swung myself onto the deck of the ship and headed up towards the wheel. It was such a relief just to be off of the island's sands. The only thing that didn't please me was the sight of the monkey.

"I've never liked that monkey." I found myself saying out loud.

"Nor I, Missy." Gibbs stated as he passed me by. "Gives me the creeps it does." My lips curled up into a smile and I followed him down the stairs towards the main deck. I always did appreciate the nickname Gibbs gave me.

Jack's feet reached the floorboards of the ship as soon as my own feet finished coming down the steps. Gibbs was immediately at his side with a suggestion as to where we'd sail to next. Too bad that's not what Will and I came all the way out here to do. I skimmed the ship until I located Will leaning against the opposite railing. We made eye contact, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was. The only thing left to do was wait for the opportune moment to approach Jack.

I don't know about Will, but my signal to go was as soon as Jack picked up his gun and Gibbs walked away. I pushed in between two passing pirates on my way towards him and planted myself directly in front of the wet captain. Someone had placed a blanket atop of his shoulders to try and warm him up, but I had a better idea in mind.

"Nice to see you found your way out of the jungle." Jack half smiled before lowering his lips into a straight line again. His eyes skimmed the railings while his fingers danced upon the metal of the gun in his hands as if anticipating to fire it. What snapped him out of this trance was my hand slapping him across the face. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"What was that for? Oh where to _begin_?" I mockingly said, throwing my hands in the air. "Getting Will and I arrested, making us sail all around the Caribbean only to find you on some cannibalistic island, getting shot at with a poisonous dart, being carried for _miles_ like a sack over a half clothed native, allowing for them to then be hostile towards me, forcing me to endure the taste of a most foul tasting piece of cloth, having-"

"Alright. Alright!" Jack said, lifting his hands defensively in front of him. "No need to sum this all up. I was there, remember?"

"But I wasn't." Will said, suddenly entering the conversation. He did not look happy in the least, and I was left wondering as to how much he had actually heard.

Jack looked between the two of us. We both had an angry tint in our eyes, one that even Jack knew not to mess with. He nervously laughed and looked up into the rafters of the ship, "Again, no need to dwell on the past."

"Jack." Will sharply said, drawing back Jack's attention. I took a step back to let Will have his turn at conversing with him. "Elizabeth is in danger."

Without displaying any emotion, Jack turned and headed up the stairs towards the wheel. "Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on her? Maybe just lock 'er up somewhere?"

"She _is_ locked up! In a prison! Bound to hang for helping you." Will quickly retorted as the two of us began our climb up the steps.

"Well that certainly explains how the two of you got arrested, eh?" Jack said, stopping on the steps to smile down at us. "Didn't think you'd wind up in there for something _normal_."

"That's beside the point, Jack." I glowered, taking a step towards him. "We're _all_ bound to hang—Will, Elizabeth, and I—just for allowing you to escape. Certainly you find it reasonable to help us out in return."

Jack rolled his eyes and continued up the stairs. "There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes."

"Well then perhaps we should have left you." I just as easily spat back.

I glared, yet again, at him until Will suddenly pulled me behind him to better place a sword he stole on Jack's neck. "I need that compass of yours, Jack. I must trade it for her freedom."

"Um, Will." I said a bit uneasily, my anger slowly melting off the longer the sword remained unsheathed. "I really don't think _this_ is the proper way of negotiating."

"Evelyn, he's a pirate." Will reasoned, looking at me through the corner of his eye. "This is the only way things are carried out."

"Yes, but that's not how-"

"Mr. Gibbs!" Jack suddenly shouted, completely unaffected by the threatening sword. Gibbs acknowledged Jack, who then walked over to Gibbs's post at the wheel. "We have a need to travel up river."

Gibbs worriedly looked to Jack, which only caused me to glance over at Will. _What have we gotten ourselves into?_ "By needs, d'ya mean a….trifling need? Fleeting? As in, say, a passing fancy?"

"No." Jack said much to the disappointment of Gibbs and I. Although I didn't yet know what Jack was getting at, his secret manner gave me cause to worry. "A…resolute and unyielding need."

"What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste." Will scolded, completely oblivious to Gibbs and Jack's conversation. Both men were now in front of the wheel, so, not wanting to be left out of the conversation, I scurried to stand next to them.

"William….Evelyn," Jack forcibly added after a quick glance my way. "I shall trade you the compass if you will help me….to find this." Jack slowly took out a small piece of parchment and began to unfold it.

I leaned in to better examine the drawing inscribed upon the parchment. There lied a rather unusual looking key with a rounded top and two separate stems protruding from it. Although it had a creepy, ancient feel to it, the key intrigued me. I could tell it had a history to it, but something else lied within this replica of the key. It held importance, that was clear, but also something far more meaningful than what was given. I reached my hand out to trace upon the drawing, but Jack quickly snatched it away from me.

Will stepped in forward to prevent me from doing another childish thing. "You want me to find this?"

"No." Jack directed his gaze from the drawing to Will, completely surpassing me by. "You want you to find this, because the finding of this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating in your discovering the detecting of a way to save your dolly belle, ol' what's-her-face….Savvy?" Will and I just stated at Jack, our eyes bulging and mouths set slightly ajar. "Oh, and of course Evelyn can help. Or at least she usually does anyway."

Snatching up the parchment in his fists, Will looked on as if Jack were insane. "_This_ is going to save Elizabeth?"

Jack awkwardly shifted on his feet. "How much do you know about Davy Jones?"

"Not much." Will said after thinking the question over. Jack then turned his stare to me.

"It's just an old sea tale, right? Nothing true…." I said, finally adding my voice into this serious conversation.

"Yeah, it's going to save Elizabeth." Jack said, now done discussing with us. Will and I looked at each other then back at the parchment. What was Jack getting at?

Carefully, I slid the drawing out of Will's grasp and opened it back up again. This little key was our ticket to freedom, but at what cost? I nervously glanced at Will, but his face held the same mystified expression mine did.

A sudden thought crossed my mind, one that was completely out of context yet burned in my mind all the same. "Oh, and Jack?" The pirate halfway turned towards me, showing his interest in what I had to say. I pushed myself in front of Will in order to stand next to Jack. "I have a message for you from two _very_ charming ladies back in Tortuga." I forced myself to not roll my eyes at my exaggerated sentence.

"Oh really?" Jack chirped, far more excited then what was needed. He was now fully facing me with a smug smile playing on his lips. "And what, dear Evelyn, would that be?"

"This." I spat before yet again slapping the unexpected pirate across the face. I could hear Will's snickers from behind me.

Jack's hand immediately covered his double wounded, bright red cheek. He failed to hide the disappointment from spreading across his face. "Scarlett and Giselle?"

"Precisely!" I said before sauntering away from him. We _had_ promised to relay the message over to Jack….or at least I did because the two of them slapped Will when we were in Tortuga.

Honestly, Jack deserved far more slaps that what I had given him that day, especially since he's unexpectedly thrust us into yet _another _adventure. What sort of mess has Captain Jack Sparrow thrown us into this time?


	10. Footsteps

**I do hope everyone has/had a Happy Valentine's Day/Singles Awareness Day! I'll be one of those single ladies sitting at home in fuzzy pants with a tub of ice cream and watching a romantic comedy. It sounds quite appealing, yes? Well anyways, I _had_ to post this special chapter today of all days (or at least near to the day). PLUS, there are officially ten chapters to this story. DOUBLE SPECIAL! I just hope it doesn't sound dry to anyone...Whatever! Enjoy this special little treat!**

**Reviews are even lovelier when they shadow Valentine's Day ;)**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

Apparently the first part of our new adventure was to visit an unknown island of some sort. That is to say, Will and I hadn't a clue as to where it's located. All we were told was that we would be 'traveling upriver' to a place that Gibbs regretted and made Jack's demeanor suddenly became wary. Their reactions only gave me cause to feel apprehensive about the whole thing. Was it really in our best interest to go?

However, I had no say. I was constantly pushed aside, and my ideas quickly dismissed. I was even shunned from doing any labor! I'm not exactly protesting about not working, I just don't want to be some useless passenger aboard the _Black Pearl. _Feeling useless was the reasoning for me leaning against the railing of the _Pearl. _At least here I could watch the ocean in the late afternoon sun without getting in anybody's way.

The faint mumbling of Jack and Will could be heard on my left. I could hear their heated discussion upon the quarterdeck all the way over here! I wasn't able make out any of the words, so I was left to assume what they are actually discussing. The thing is, I already _know _it's about Elizabeth.

I mean, who else could it be? She's been the only thing occupying Will's mind as of late. All he wants is to save his beloved, and Jack extending the days until he next sees her has only angered Will. Even now as I steal a look at the two confident men, a glint of anger can be seen lurking behind Will's brown eyes. It's an unusual emotion for him to possess, and it doesn't quite fit his personality.

_Oh Elizabeth…_My sympathetic mind wondered as I once again face the calm ocean. _It must be horrible having to be locked up in a damp cell while Will, Jack, and I are out here sailing across the Caribbean._

We had just started the sparks of what could be a potential friendship when I was suddenly pulled away from our shared cell to speak with Beckett. But why me? Sometimes I wonder think Elizabeth should be standing here instead of me. She _is_ the one betrothed to Will as I sort of am to Whitaker.

Am I truly though? I have been out of contact with him for months now. With the exception of that man in Tortuga…

The similarities between that scrummy man and the officer were astounding. Their hair matched perfectly, and the jaw line was strikingly equivalent to one another. The most surprising of them all was the eye color. Not only did the shade match, but the same emotions the twinkled in Whitaker's eyes were mirrored in that drunkard's eyes. Except his eyes were far more clouded than Whitaker's have ever been. The turmoil that man must have experienced reflected off of those eyes and into my soul. Just thinking about it gave me shivers.

Could that man really be my long-lost Whitaker?

Nonsense! The _last_ place Whitaker would want to be is Tortuga. It was probably just my mind playing tricks on me after a long day of misguided searching for Jack Sparrow. And yet I still find myself wondering…not just about the probability of that mysterious man turning out to be Whitaker, but of Whitaker finally returning to me.

If that day ever did come, I don't know what I'd do with myself. There are definitely feelings floating between the two of us, even if they have been buried under months of no contact. Would I be willing to allow those emotions to come back, knowing they will never be as strong as they once were? And what of Will? Yes, I've already established that he has Elizabeth, but I can't help but wonder what his views would be.

Instinctively my eyes sought out Will, who was still speaking with Jack. His face was tensed over with a new concern Jack must have given to him and his fingers danced over the hilt of his new sword. Just by watching this action made my eyes drift over to the handle of my new sword. It was more worn than the one I lost at that cannibalistic island, but it was definitely better than yielding no blade at all. Plus I never have been one to use a pistol.

As I gazed, a sudden uneasiness made itself known inside me. It wasn't a reaction to my fright of pistols, so what on earth could it possibly be?

Determined to solve this little mystery, I lifted my eyes and scanned them across the deck. All the pirates were doing their assigned chores, and none paid any attention to the off-limits woman standing by the railing. I was so ignored that the only thing to react to me was the brightly colored parrot pleasantly perched atop of Mr. Cotton's shoulders. He squawked at me as my eyes glided over him and onto the next set of pirates.

It just so happened that Will and Jack were the next to enter my line of vision, and both were intently staring at me. I bit my lip when they, having noticed my stare, straightened up and proceeded to walk towards me. I hastily turned back around so I wouldn't have to face them. _Well this can't be good…_

I could hear their boots rapidly pound down upon the wooden steps of the ship, and the creaks of the main deck when they reached the planks below. Each step became more audible than the last, and I found myself sweating because of it. _What have I done wrong? _I ran a nervous hand through my tangled mess of brown hair. _Was I actually needed? Did I not hear a job assignment? I would certainly get a beating if I hadn't followed the orders of, as Jack puts it, 'my captain'. That would certainly result in disaster._

After inhaling a large amount of air, I spun around to face my superiors. Hopefully the proud face I wore wouldn't falter under the nervous drumming in my head.

"Evelyn, we need to talk." Jack sternly said, waving his finger awfully close in my face. Will stood off to the side with his arms crossed and an impossible face to read. I winced away from the two of them, my thoughts filling with every possible action I did that could have been taken wrongly. Nonetheless, I nodded for the Captain to continue on.

"There is a serious matter at hand, one that needs to be dealt with straightaway!" By now the pirate was pacing back and forth in front of me. His hands fiddled about with the air as he did so. "There could be grave, _grave_ consequences in store for all involved if this is not taken care of." Jack suddenly stopped and placed himself a few inches from my face. I held my ground, but couldn't prevent the gulp from making its way down my throat. His cold stare was too intimidating for me. "The question I am about to ask you is of the utmost importance and needs to be answered honestly and truthfully. Understand?"

I searched Jack's face for any kind of solace, and, finding none, brought more nerves to build. "Y-yes?"

Jack held my gaze for a long, tense time before Will petulantly pulled Jack back by the shoulders. "You're frightening her." He sharply said in Jack's ear, only allowing an unkempt smile to spread across the rouge's face. Will shook his head and apologetically nodded my way. "We only wished to know the last time you wielded a sword. If we must engage in combat, I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Relief instantly washed over my face and I felt the tension literally break apart in the air. Jack couldn't control the laughter from bellowing out of his throat; my sudden change of emotion was too much for him to handle. Luckily, I had learned to tune out his arrogance and remained unfazed throughout the entirety of his laughter.

"You have to admit I carried that out rather well!" He choked out through his amusement. I simply rolled my eyes and leaned back on my left leg, waiting for him to settle down. "Come on, love. Where be your sense of humor?"

"Now is not the time for such games, Jack Sparrow." I crossly said, throwing a glare at him as well.

"Nonsense! The game's only half the fun!" Jack chirped, clamping his hands together. "But that should be discussed at a later time. For now, just answer dear William's question."

"The last time I properly handled a blade…" I trailed off into thought as memories of the past few months literally flew through my brain.

Obviously I used my blade against the cursed skeleton pirates, and that was many months ago. There were a few times after that in which I would go into the blacksmith's shop and Will trained me under the sleeping eye of Mr. Brown. However Will had been far more concerned with teaching Elizabeth the basics of swordplay so I was thrust into the spot of second importance.

"It's been quite a few months." I explained, bashfully glancing towards Will. "Other priorities came up."

Will shamefully hung his head, fully knowing why I was so untrained at the current moment. Jack, on the other hand, took no notice of our exchange and began mumbling to himself. "Oh no, that won't do at all!" He spun on his heels to face Will. "Step to, William! And bring forth your sword! You must retrain Evelyn at all costs."

Will did as he was told and unsheathed his sword, but he still lent a curious eye towards Jack. "I thought you said there wouldn't be any danger."

"Not even I know when danger will come. Besides, would I lie to you?" He asked of Will, who remained quiet. The pirate pouted at him before inclining his head towards me. My impassive face only brought another pout. He diverted his attention back to Will, this time with a much more aggressive expression. "Fine then."

"Oh Jack. Concerned for my wellbeing, are we?" I giggled, producing my sword in the process. Jack shook his head, but even those dreadlocks of his couldn't hide the smile on his face. With a determined grin I confidently turned to face Will. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Will nodded and analyzed my stance. His brows furrowed together and a frown crossed his face. "Evelyn, do you even remember how you're supposed to stand?"

Embarrassed, I looked down at my crooked blade and straightened it up with a sheepish smile. How could I forget this?

"Good." Will stated, snapping my head up once more. "Now if I come at you like so…" He advanced forward, slowly angling his sword down towards my right leg. In response I brought my own sword down and easily blocked the attack. "Very good."

Will took back his blade and swiftly swung it towards my head, pausing it just before it reached my neck. I looked to him with wide eyes, but his hard face didn't change. He was concerned, that was easy to tell, but there was also something else etched into his face: fear.

"Evelyn, you must keep a high guard. Never use a low one! You strike down like this." I nodded in response as demonstrated what I was supposed to do. The memories of my previous lessons were slowly starting to come back.

"Right, high guard." I lifted my sword higher in the air. "I remember you teaching me that before."

"I hope so because I can't have you getting killed." Will quickly responded, keeping the same stern look on his face. The serious tone in his voice frightened me, and I couldn't even look him in the eye without a shudder crawling down my spine.

I didn't grace him with a response. I simply waited for him to attack me again, which he did after a moment's hesitation. The swing he leisurely gave this time was towards my stomach. Rather than stepping away, I flicked my sword down and parried it away. Then I lunged at Will, who easily blocked my advance.

"Ah, aggressive." Jack remarked from the sidelines. "It's a key tool to becoming a pirate! We just have to work on the second bit: not playing by the rules."

I narrowed my eyes towards Jack, "And I'm not about to lower myself into doing something dishonorable, so don't get your hopes up."

"Keep telling yourself that." Jack winked at me as I shook my head. _Stupid knave._

I turned my attentions back to Will, nodding at him to strike me again. He did so with a slow advance to my shoulder, to which I blocked. This time as Will removed his sword; there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. However, this quickly turned into a frown once Jack stepped in between the pair of us. His sword was drawn and his feet silently paced because of the dance of a duel.

Without warning he lashed at my head. I quickly ducked and swiped at his feet, but he only chuckled at my meek attempts and kicked my weapon out of the way. As I scrambled to retrieve it, a very upset Will shouted out at the pirate. "What on earth do you think you are doing?"

"Dearest William," I heard Jack say once I finally grasped my weapon. I spun back around, ready to strike, but Jack was hanging back by Will with his sword firmly resting against upon his shoulder. "Although I admire your determination to retrain young Evelyn, I must point out that slow movements will get us nowhere." He pointed his sword in my direction, a smug smile spreading across his face. "Besides, I find the best way of remembering is to just go at it."

Jack charged at me before a protest could rise out of Will's throat. A duel quickly ensued between us, one that stalled the work of the surrounding crew. I felt exposed to them, but this didn't faze Jack at all. He continued to jab at me with quick movements and constant jabs. Although the weight of the duel was beginning to tire me out, I found my muscles starting to remember the finer details of sword fighting: when to dodge an onslaught and when to strike, when to parry a powerful swing and when to fuel off of a weak one.

I was becoming stronger, more aggressive even. The small crowd of crew members helped boost my confidence with their obnoxious cheers every time I made a successful pass at Jack. The rouge pirate caught on to my sudden poise and a mischievous gleam came into his eyes.

Ignoring this warning, I took a defiant swing to his thigh. Jack smoothly blocked my attack, but then swung the hilt around. It pounded against the upper portion of my arm, forcing me to whimper as I backed away from him.

"The blade isn't the only part of a sword, love." The pirate coolly said despite the daggers I shot at him with my eyes.

Anger spread from the throbbing of my arm to the remainder of my body, reaching its maximum height when it bubbled in my ears. With an aggravated battle cry I charged at Jack, although he suspected as much and was fully prepared for me. We exchanged a few slices with each other when he suddenly swung himself up onto the railing of the _Pearl_. I stared after him in a heated wonderment.

"Well come on, I haven't got all day!"

Again I found a scowl placing itself onto my face, and I proceeded to climb after him. However, I was quickly pulled down by a somewhat frantic Will.

"Evelyn, no!" I tried to release his hold on my arm, but my struggling only prompted him to hold on tighter. "This is far too dangerous, especially for you."

"She must learn her footing, William. Standing on a beam is the perfect way to enforce balance." Jack called from his position on the railing, but Will and I simply ignored him. In unison we looked over the edge of the ship to the waters below. When we faced each other once more, Will's face was twisted with worry.

"Will, I know I can do this." My voice still held an undertone of resentment towards Jack, and because of this Will still held concern behind his eyes. I released a sigh to calm myself down before sliding my hand across the railing and onto Will's hand. "Please."

I know Will shouldn't be the deciding factor of what I could and could not do, but his approval would mean everything. He has some sort of hold on me, one that I can't quite explain….gazing into his face now I can't help but wonder if Will experiences the same strange feeling I have.

After what felt like an eternity, when in all actually it was a few tense seconds, Will nodded his head. I giddily smiled at him and scrambled onto the railing before anything else could be said on the matter. When I stood upright on the narrow wood, I had to spread my arms out so I wouldn't fall.

"Not as easy as it looks is it, darling?" Jack chuckled as I continued my balancing dance. I once again shot a death glare towards my pirate friend, but kept myself focused on my footing. Once balanced, I decided my next move would be to pretend I was still struggling. This allowed for me to have a hidden advantage, especially since Jack was becoming more agitated by the second. "This is taking bloody forever. If only-"

I unexpectedly swung at the pirate's head and he was barely able to escape the sting of my blade. When his head popped into my vision once again, a impish smile was planted across his face. "Clever girl."

With a beam of my own, our swords clashed again. I did better than what I expected of fighting on a small beam. Well, when we stayed in one place. It's when Jack moved that a problem arose. My shaky feet were not used to such narrow grounding, and I found my foot slipping off every once in a while. Somehow I was able to stay balanced. It was a good thing too because falling into the ocean wasn't exactly what I wanted to do today.

Despite my ability to constantly regain my balance, one cannot simply get away with every mistake they make. I was straightening myself up after Jack dodged one of my swings, when he suddenly decided to take a threatening step towards me. I backed away from him in order to allow a more comfortable spacing between us, but my foot slipped off of the railings side.

Amongst the childish cheers of the crew, I wobbled back and upon my still intact foot. I could tell straight away that I wouldn't be able to recover this time, so I leaned in more towards the deck so as to land on its hard surface rather than the daunting ocean.

When I was finally pulled towards the main deck, I stuck my left foot out so as not to crash to the ground. The entire weight of my body suddenly being forced onto my scrawny legs didn't exactly serve them justice, but I didn't really care. As long as I'm not seen as clumsy by the crew, I'd take a throbbing pain to the knees any day.

As soon as I was securely planted onto the _Pearl's_ floorboards, I griped my sword and prepared to fight with Jack at his advantageous higher level. Before I could do anything, however, a small slap of pain suddenly erupted onto my right hand. My sword instantly clattered to the floor while something cool made its appearance at the base of my neck.

It appears as though Jack has won this time around.

The pirates cheered and whistled their congratulations as their captain hopped off the railing. I just rolled my eyes at him and pushed his sword away. I wasn't expecting a victory against him, but then again I also hadn't imagined our dueling lesson transforming into an actual duel. The whole thing was rather annoying.

Jack proudly walked away with the rest of the his crew, but not before shouting me one last word of advice at me, "Always go for the weak spot, love. You're a sure win if ye can accomplish that."

I shook my head after the pirate and bent down to retrieve my sword. He knew I wouldn't be able to last long on that railing, and I'm sure he was expecting balance to be an issue. Sure I fell off in the end, but never once did I completely collide with the floor. That has to say _something_ about my balance, doesn't it?

Sighing, I picked up my blade and stared into its reflective surface. A sweaty figured stared back at me, and she did not appear flattering in the least! Her brown hair stuck to the sides of my flushed face, and I've never seen such a tired expression clouding those blue eyes before. I couldn't help but crinkle my nose at what I saw. "You look positively revolting."

"I can honestly tell you that everyone else looks much worse." Will lightly commented, trying to lift my spirits.

"Thanks." I flatly responded with a half smile. "If you've come over to tell me I did well despite my loss, you can save it." There was a small pause as my words sunk in, and that's when I realized the tone in which I had used. My eyes widened and I hurriedly rushed over to him. "Oh, Will, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to sound…that is to say…um…"

My cheeks grew hot from embarrassment, especially when Will began to chuckle. I looked down at my boots without even glancing into his eyes.

"Actually, I came over to see if you'd like to duel with me now. I'm fairer than what Jack will ever be."

"Yes!" I quickly responded, nearly cutting him off with my excitement. The embarrassment effortlessly came back, and I had to force out a cough to distract Will from seeing my cheeks flash red…again. "That is to say, I'd most definitely appreciate it if you would. Just promise to move faster. Jack did have a point when he said you were moving awfully slow."

"I figured as much, especially since you seem to be remembering more, now that you've had some combat practice." Will beamed down at me, replacing my embarrassment with an abundance of butterflies.

"Thank you very much." I nervously said, biting my lip. "Could we maybe also practice on the forecastle deck? I don't want to draw the attentions of crew members this time."

They may have been fueling my energy, but they were also quite the distraction! Every single motion had a sound effect to it, and every failure a murmur of whispers. I didn't want to be judged anymore than what I already have been for losing a duel with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Will gazed up at the forecastle and, seeing no one, nodded towards me. We hurried up the steps towards the higher deck opposite the wheel, becoming more excited with what we saw. The space above was much quieter and could barely be seen by any of the pirates. It was the prefect place to practice without causing much of a distraction.

"Ready?" Will asked, preparing his sword.

I took out that of my own and smirked up at him. "Prepare yourself, William Turner. I can promise you that I will be a greater threat this time around."

"I'd like to see you try." Will joked, backing himself up with a chuckle. His simple laughter lightened my heart and I held no resentment as I charged at him. We were engaged in combat, both with our swords and our laughter.

~.~.~.~.

We parried back and forth until the beginnings of evening hinted the sky. With each swing of the sword, I became stronger. My movements were now quicker and my attacks more bold. There was no doubt that I had remembered all my training _and _improved as a swordsman in general. I enhanced so much that I was even able to beat Will a few times! Although I couldn't help but wonder if he had just let me win to boost my confidence. It was a sweet gesture, and I silently thanked Will for that.

Our current duel had been going on for some time now, and it took us all over the forecastle deck. The only space we hadn't been to was the foremast, which was centered in the middle of this raised deck.

With a quick peek over my shoulder, I led Will towards the circular wood. My back rammed into it just as Will raised his sword to swing at my head. As he brought his arm down, I took the opportunity to duck down a little and slide onto the opposite side. My back remained locked with the wood, just as my ears stayed opened. Closing my eyes, I listened intently for any sort of motion so as to be ready for whichever side Will chose to strike on next. That moment came when I heard a stirring to my right.

I snapped my eyes open and dashed over to that side, "Ah-ha!" I exclaimed…to an empty space. Lowering my sword, I crept forward to peer around the mast only to find an equally bare deck. I backed away from the spot with an amazed expression. _Where have you gone off to?_

"Got you!" A male voice bellowed at my left. I squealed and jumped into the amongst the laughter of William Turner. However, the jump had thrust me backwards a little _too _far and I knew it would only be moments until I crashed onto the deck. I reached my hand out to try and stop myself, but the only thing I could find was Will's arm. So as I came fell, so did he.

We crashed onto the forecastle deck in unison, keeping our separate pains to ourselves. There was a silence between us for a few moments that broke once a giggle toppling out of me.

"I can't believe I fell for that! And to take you down with me? I can't even-" I couldn't finish the sentence; I was so consumed with laughter. To top it off, Will was now laughing alongside me.

I turned to give him an apology as soon as my laughter died, but just looking at him brought more giggles on my behalf. I just couldn't contain it! His wild eyes shined with happiness and his brown hair was even more tangled than mine was. Just as Will had said before, we all looked a mess here aboard the _Black Pearl_. I just hadn't noticed until I was a few inches from someone's face!

We were ridiculous, the pair of us, and yet I liked it. My foolish mistakes lifted the worries off of Will, just as his smiles had a tendency to calm me down. For now everything was peaceful, and there wasn't anything else that could make this moment more perfect.

Well, there was one thing.

My giggles had finally stopped, so now Will and I were left to happily gaze at each other under the embrace of a serene silence. In a sudden, unexplainable instant our lips locked onto the other. My heart has never before beat faster than when we forced ourselves closer to one another. I gripped the collar of his shirt, and his hand laced through my hair. All the longing, pain, joy, gratitude, and frustration we've felt since our first encounter was thrown into that one passionate kiss. No sensation could ever compare to the emotions rushing through my head, and for the first time I felt a sense of belonging. I just wanted to melt into Will's arms and never leave.

But even the greatest of joys has their limitations.

Just as suddenly as we kissed, it was over. We broke apart and quickly removed our eyes from the others face to the sky. The only sound to be heard was the panting of our own breaths, a sign that both of us had forgotten to breathe under the loveliness of that kiss. I snuck numerous glances at Will, but once our eyes caught I decided it would be best not to look over anymore. This was when Will decided to leave.

He slowly raised himself into a sitting position, stared at me for a long time, and silently walked off. I remained still until I was sure Will was elsewhere, that's when I allowed myself to move. Just as Will had done, I slowly pulled myself to my feet. I took a deep breath as I ran a shaky hand through my hair, although it didn't feel nearly as special as when Will had done it.

I _kissed_ Will.

The secret desire I forced behind locked doors had actually happened. I should be overwhelmed with joy right now! And yet, I wasn't. I would be a liar to say I wasn't thrilled, but I still felt wrong with how it happened. I just felt…._oh hell; I don't know how I feel._

I shut my eyes and rubbed my temples in the hopes of relieving this confusion, but froze once the unmistakable sound of footsteps resounded in my ears. I slowly opened my eyes to see none other that Captain Jack Sparrow walking towards me. He wasn't wearing his usual witty expression, so it was impossible to read his face as he approached.

"Interesting." He mumbled, rubbing his chin. My blood froze under his analytical eyes and my hands instantly snapped to my sides; he didn't see, did he see?

Nonetheless, color rose in my cheeks the longer he stared at me. I could see something was piecing together in his brain, but to tell you what exactly it was wouldn't be possible. Whatever it was, it certainly can't be good. "Very interesting indeed."


	11. A Touch of Destiny

**My sincerest apologies for posting at such a late posting! Life caught up to me and things went a bit crazy. So to make up for that, I've written a longer-than-usual chapter for you! Anyway, I'm even sorrier for the quality of my previous chapter. I recently read through it, and how horrendous it was! The kiss bit wasn't though, so I guess that's the important part. Right?**

**A special thanks to those of you who expressed concern for this story. I really appreciate the support! So this chapter is you for :)**

**Much love,**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

It meant nothing.

Or at least this is what I've forced myself to arrive at after thinking over my kiss with Will. Even though whenever I think about that sentence, _my kiss with Will_, I fall into a complete state of bliss. I can still feel the impression of his lips connecting with mine, the sensation of not being close enough, his hands entwined in my hair…all of it was still there. As was the confusion of it all.

Yes, the kiss meant nothing. How could it? Our lives our bound to separate people, even if mine is somewhat of a mystery at the moment. Nothing has happened, nothing has changed. I just have to keep reminding myself that.

But can I?

"Missy, up to! We're about ready to go ashore!" Gibbs said in a rush as he passed by me. I was instantly up on my feet and looking over the railing, my thoughts from before suddenly clear. Sure enough, there was a huge land mass facing me. I suppose I was too distracted to notice its approach this whole time.

"Where are we?" I shouted back at him, a bit mystified by the view.

"Right off the Pantano River." He answered with just a quick glance over his shoulder. "Best head over to the longboats if you plan to come with us."

That was all that needed to be said in order for my legs to kick into action. I was going, and that was final.

As I slid over to the only decent exit aboard this vessel, I took note of the two boats already floating in the sea. The head longboat already had two people in it, one of which I recognized to be Cotton. The one farther back held the short crewmember known as Marty, the one-eyed pirate I had yet to learn the name of, and Will.

"It will be the rear for you, Pintel." I overheard Jack say. When I shifted my vision his way, there was an almost disgusted look about him as he glanced down at a stout pirate. "You and your friend Ragetti can do the rowing."

_So that's what their names are!_

"Yes, Captain!" The pirate, Pintel, replied, saluting him twice before climbing down the side of the ship.

When the pirate began descending down that ladder, Jack leaned in closer to Gibbs, who was now standing beside him, and pointed his hands after the pirate. "Remind me again how they get aboard my ship."

"Picked them up on the Isla de Pelegostos, Captain." The ever attendant Gibbs quickly answered. "Figured the more labor we had _after _that particular island the better."

"Oh." Jack said, keeping his mouth in the shape of a circle. He briefly paused, but then he started his usual hand waving mannerism. "Next time tell me when you make this decision because I don't really like them. They frighten me."

Gibbs looked to a shockingly serious Jack with bewilderment behind his eyes. It took him a while to even respond to Jack's statement. "Aye-aye…Captain."

"Great!" Jack smiled, finally straightening himself up. He then hovered both his hands, with all fingers fanned out, over Gibbs's chest so as to emphasize whatever he was about to say. "Hence you'll sit in the back with them…so I don't have to."

Sidestepping Jack's hands, Gibbs loyally nodded his consent, although it was clear he wasn't too fond of this new assignment. Although I've only spent a brief time with these new crewmembers, they didn't seem to be too bad…

Then it hits me.

_Pintel and_ _Ragetti_. These two were aboard the_ Black Pearl_ when it was under a different leadership, Captain Barbossa. They mopped the floors outside the brig I was in, assisted in guarding me when there was already no where to run, and were bound to the curse I helped to lift some time ago. Just thinking about these few past memories sent a ghostly chill down my spine.

Well, that was in the past. There are much more things occupying my mind now, the first of which is finding out which longboat I shall be placed in. With a quick intake of breath, I walked over towards the ladder Gibbs has just begun to climb down.

"Ah, Evelyn! Just the girl I was looking for!" Jack chided with a rather smug look. The wild smile he sent my way gave me reason to worry.

"As opposed to all the other women aboard…" I sarcastically remarked, drawing on the fact that I was the _only _woman here.

Despite my efforts, Jack seemed to ignore me completely because he continued to smile just as unpleasantly as before. "You still have that parchment with the key on you?"

I patted the side of my pants where it was safely tucked away beneath the waist. "That I do! It's never once been out of my possession."

"Knew I could count on you." Jack said as he took a step closer. "Seeing as your tagging along, as usual, I think I'll put you…in the second longboat."

"But that one already has five people whilst yours only has three men and that blasted monkey!" I protested, worried at the possibility of sitting uncomfortably next to Will.

"Precisely! Need me elbow room, love." He twitched his arms out twice to symbolize his need for personal space. I, on the other hand, simply glared back at him. When it finally fazed Jack as to how displeased I was, his smile dropped and he proceeded to push me towards the exit. "Besides, I hear the view is _marvelous _from the second boat."

"Wretch!" I screamed at him before arriving at the edge of the ship, where Jack's shoving forced me to decide whether to fall into the longboat or cooperatively climb down. Obviously I chose to peacefully climb down, but this didn't stop the curses from firing off in my head.

~.~.~.~.

I must've appeared pretty sour when I was assisted into the longboat because no one dared to make conversation with me, and I was actually quite grateful for this. It granted my temper some time to cool off. There were a few babbles here and there, although they were mostly spoken amongst Pintel and Ragetti. Everyone else just remained eerily silent. They were probably just taking in the swampy jungle slowly enveloping us.

Nothing interesting really happened until Will, who just so happened to be sitting next to me, suddenly leaned back to look at the other longboat. Our own boat wavered a little under the shifting weight, but it corrected itself once Will returned to his original position and faced Gibbs. "Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?"

I perked my head up. How on earth was Will able to decipher _that_?

"Well, if you believe such things," Gibbs began, his eyes lighting up under the anticipation of telling a new tale. "There's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones—a _fearsome _creature with giant tentacles that'll suction your face clean off" He reached out, his fingers curling in, and mimicked a tentacle as he reached for my face. I didn't even flinch at his imitation, too entranced with this new knowledge to do much else. "And drag an _entire_ ship down to the crushing darkness." Gibbs added a dramatic pause into his tale by panning his eyes across each of us. When he finally spoke, his voice was crisp and to the point. "…The kraken."

Gibbs's final phrase sent a tingle of fright through my entire body. "Isn't that supposed to be a legend?" I asked. "A Norse myth created to frighten sailors?"

"Aye, Missy. But they say these legends be as true as any!" Gibbs said, slowly shaking his finger in my face. "_And_ they say the stench of its breath is like…" He couldn't even finish the sentence because a shudder trembled its way up his spine. The shafts of light sliding across Gibbs's face made the situation even more apprehensive. Unable to handle it anymore, I looked to the floorboards. "Imagine…the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses."

I could feel my nose scrunch with displeasure. A _thousand _rotting corpses? The stench of one alone is enough to make me want to flush out my nostrils.

"If you believe such things." Gibbs added with reassurance, grabbing my attention enough to raise my head. Twiddling his fingers across his gun, Gibbs sent me a small nervous smile.

"And the key will spare him that?" Will asked, clearly not entirely grasping the whole Kraken theory.

"Well, that's the very question Jack wants answered." Gibbs responded with a sly smile. "Bad enough even to go visit…her."

I looked over to Will to see if he had any idea as to what Gibbs was talking about, but was surprised to be met with equally curious eyes. Our eyes locked briefly before Will turned back to Gibbs, his brow rising with interest. "_Her_?"

"Aye." Gibbs mumbled, darting his eyes out towards the swamp. I waited for him to elaborate more, but nothing came. He simply avoided everyone's questioning gaze.

"Gibbs." I nearly snapped so as to drag his attention back towards us. I kept my intent stare upon his face until he became so uncomfortable that he _had _to turn back to us. He seemed to already know what I was about to ask, but seemed uneasy nonetheless. "Who exactly is 'her'?"

He remained quiet for a moment, keeping his thoughts barricaded within himself. When he noticed all the longing faces looking his way, Gibbs knew he had no choice but to answer. He looked overtop of everyone and into the shadowed space ahead of us before deeply sighing. There really was no way out of this. "Well, you're about to find out."

I quickly spun around to see what Gibbs was referring to, rocking the boat in the process. Up ahead I could _barely _make out small beams of unnatural light. Not just that, but I could have sworn there was a presence quietly watching from within the approaching darkness.

Although the trees were progressively blocking out the sun's glow, I swore the heat was getting to me. There's no way _anyone _would live out here.

~.~.~.~.

So the heat wasn't getting to me. In fact, the more we pushed into this darkness, the more people I began to see. All of them stood in the shadows, observing our every move. Fireflies danced about my face as I tried squinting into the progressively growing darkness, but these trees were too thick. They hid the features of every individuals' face, making the whole situation a bit uneasy for me.

I was surprised when we started to come upon wooden shacks. We were far down the river by now, and the placing of these houses just didn't seem to add up right. I attempted to ask Gibbs about them, but he was too spooked to even answer. He stared at me, just as the people sitting out on their porches were.

It was as if words were forbidden from this eerie swamp.

However, things such as this have never stopped Jack before and it certainly wasn't about to stop now. Jack's longboat led us to a hut built higher up in a tree. The dimly lit lanterns intricately placed throughout the bark added a sense of mystery to the house and I began to actually _want _to go inside.

Without any hesitation, or allowing for the boat to stop, Jack stepped out onto the lowest platform. "No worries, mates." He assured, spinning away from a ladder to face us. "Tia Dalma and I go _way_ back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are." The smile playing on Jack's face displayed the memories he and this finally revealed woman once had. But then this smile fell and his eyes clouded over. "Were…have been…before."

Gibbs was quick to join the uncomfortable looking Jack, ready to assist his captain and friend. "I'll watch your back."

"It's me front I'm worried about." Jack mumbled before climbing up the ladder. This somehow gave Gibbs the inclination that he now had the right to give orders.

"Mind the boat." He said to Will prior to following Jack. However, Will was never one to stay behind, so he turned to Ragetti and commanded the exact same thing. Although appearing frightened, the one-eyed pirate skittishly told his friend, Pintel, that he should now 'mind the boat'. This seemed to make the rounded pirate a bit grumpy, so he easily snapped at Marty with this command. As if taking offense to Pintel's tone, Marty then face me to utter those same words in a drawn out voice. Well I've already decided I wasn't staying behind!

Smiling as I stood, I turned to face the next pirate in our line up. I was a bit disappointed when I saw that muted old Cotton was next. "Sorry, Cotton…Mind the boat."

I proceeded to follow Marty up the ladder, except a certain squawk paused my ascension. "Mind the boat." The little bird said to its own master. He flew up to join the rest of us, leaving Cotton all alone with the final crew member.

Unable to give off this order, Cotton heavily sat down. The disappointment on his face was clear, even through this sickening darkness. Sadly, the only thing I could offer the poor sailor was a sympathetic smile before scurrying up the ladder.

From above, an unmistakable female voice, apparently belonging to someone named 'Tia Dalma', rang out from the hut. "_You…_" Her voice had a dark undertone to it; as though something fresh but of grave importance suddenly crossed her mind. "_You 'ave a touch of…_destiny_ about you…William Turner._"

I nearly fell off the ladder when I heard the woman say his name. How has Will, a man formally living the simple life of a blacksmith, become connected to _two _separatepirate adventures? Well, whatever the reason, it was enough to make me climb this ladder at an even greater speed.

"_You know me?_" I heard Will say just as I reached the top. His voice was quick, but I knew he was just as confused as me.

As soon as my feet were steadily on the house's floorboards I pushed my way into the hut, only to be appalled by what I saw. First of all, the whole place was completely disorganized. Jars hung throughout the room with odd substances inside, and multiple trinkets were spread along every single table. There was even a snake hissing at the entrance!

Secondly, and far more displeasing to me, Tia Dalma was standing _awfully _close to Will. _Too_ close in my opinion. Her eyes twinkled from beneath her dark features, and I certainly didn't enjoy how her mouth slowly began to part with pleasure. She looked as though she were about to say something, but then her eyes flashed onto me.

"Evelyn Pierce…" Tia Dalma said, slinking past Will to gain a better look at me. She seemed to be analyzing my now bewildered features.

"You know my name?" I dared to take a step towards her so as to make my meek voice appear more defining. "I don't recall ever meeting you before."

"No child! Our paths 'ave neva crossed before." She placed her index finder on the top of my left cheekbone and intently looked into my eyes. This, for obvious reasons, made me uncomfortable, but I was afraid to pull back. "Your path be bound elsewhere! Ta a hum on de horizon…But…only you can protectwhat is already yours."

My forehead creased with even more confusion. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you're saying."

"Be careful wit' what you choose. It has de power ta change de winds." Tia Dalma continued as though she never heard me.

She wasn't making any sense. My path? Protecting what is mine? Changing something? I wanted to ask her more on the subject, but Will just _had _to cut in at that moment. Grabbing my shoulder, he gently pulled me out of Tia Dalma's entrancing grasp and took my place.

"How is it you know us?" He asked with an underlining protective tone.

As soon as Tia Dalma saw Will's face again, that look came back to her. She took an unnecessary step towards him, making my fists clench as she did so. Honestly, did Tia Dalma _really _need to be that close to his face? Did her eyes _have _to have that special sparkle within the pupils?

"Oh!" Tia Dalma mused, completely absorbed with Will. When she reached up to stroke his face, I wanted to rip her hand away from him. I had to take a few deep breaths just to calm myself. "You want ta know _me_?"

That was it.

I could almost feel the steam simmering from my mind as I took a threatening step towards Tia Dalma. How _dare _she suggest something as…as…_risqué _as that? Just thinking about her purred comment made me want to lash out at her. She was lucky Jack got to her first. He practically shoved me across the room with his intervention.

"There'll be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it." Jack took a sidelong glance at Will before pushing Tia Dalma in the opposite direction. "I thought I knew you."

"Not so well as I had hoped." She mumbled back, striding over to one of the cleaner tables in the hut. "Come." She demanded of the group.

"Come." Jack echoed, motioning for me and Will to sit down at the table. Except I really didn't feel like sitting next to…_her_—I was beginning to understand why Gibbs referred to her like that. It's not that I was mad at Tia Dalma, I've only just met her so she hasn't had the chance to do something to offend me. I was just simply…annoyed? Maybe protective?

…Or perhaps I'm jealous…but let's not jump to any conclusions.

"Evelyn…" Will whispered into my ear as he guided me over to the table. I instantly jumped away from him.

"Sorry!" I responded, crossing to an available seat across from where Will stood. "I'm just a bit confused."

"We're just getting started, Love." Jack sympathetically said, although the glint in his eye gave me reason to believe his emotions lied elsewhere. "If you're confused now, there's no helping you with whatever Tia Dalma has planned next."

I plopped into the chair, crossing my arms as a means of protest. "That entirely depends on what we're actually _here _for." I shot a glare towards the pirate for keeping Will and I out of his jumbled mind. "I may yet surprise you."

"Enough wit' dis." Tia Dalma cut in, her eyes dancing between Will, Jack, and I. Once again, Will appeared to be the more appealing one since she began advancing upon him yet again. I simply lowered my eyes, refusing to be influenced by her actions anymore. "What…_service _may I do you?" I didn't even need to look at Tia Dalma to be disturbed by this situation. But then the exotic woman's voice snapped. "You know I demand payment."

"I brought payment." Jack quickly said. He then whistled, which drew my attention, and out came none other than that pesky monkey. "Look!" The pirated smiled before shooting the shrieking animal. This has been the _only _time I've ever felt sympathy for it. Even annoying, invincible pests don't deserve to be shot at. "An undead monkey. Top that."

The monkey was placed on the table right in front of me, and hissed as Tia Dalma examined it. To my horror, she unlatched the lock upon the cage's door and set him free. He wasted no time in leaping onto my shoulder, hitting my face with his tail, and hopping away into a back room.

My protesting, slightly disgusted yelp almost covered up the complaint Gibbs had to offer. "Don't!" He tried reaching for the monkey, but it was already long gone. Gibbs winced once he realized his pursuit had been in vain. "You've no idear how long it took us to catch that."

"De payment is fair." Tia Dalma said without any regard to Gibbs's cries.

"Great!" Jack smiled, holstering his gun. His gaze then fell to me. "Now Evelyn, if you would…"

I didn't even need him to finish his demand. Already I was fishing around for that small parchment. "I'm assuming we came to seek you're help, Tia Dalma, because of a certain drawing." When I finally spread the yellowed parchment onto the table, Tia Dalma's eyes widened slightly. She seemed almost startled to come across this drawing.

"We're looking for this." Will said just to fill the silence. I hadn't even noticed he was now sitting until he pointed at the faded drawing of the key. "And what it goes to."

Rather than answer this continuously growing mystery, Tia Dalma maneuvered away from the key and snapped her attention towards Jack. "De compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you ta dis?"

With the mere mention of _compass _I was sitting in an upright position. The only thing we were asked to do by Beckett was bring that broken compass of Jack's back to him. It seemed silly at the time, but if Jack got the compass from Tia Dalma, there has to be something special about it. Besides, the more I knew about this compass, the better. Perhaps I could still save Will from being hanged with this knowledge.

"Maybe." Jack said, as stubborn as usual. "Why?"

"I hear you." Tia Dalma squealed with excitement, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants!" There was a cheeky smile on her face as she leaned towards him. "Or do you…but are loath ta claim it as your own?"

All Jack did in response to her was blow on one of the many trinkets hanging from the ceiling. I could practically hear the eye roll from everyone in the room.

"Your key go ta a chest." Tia Dalma continued nonetheless. "And it is what lay _inside_ de chest you seek, don't it?"

Not quite knowing the answer, I found my eyes automatically jumping to Will. _Is it?_ Sadly, Will was looking to Tia Dalma with confusion mirroring my own. We're obviously on the same _incorrect _page.

"What is inside?" Gibbs asked a bit too excited.

"Gold? _Jewels_?" Pintel jumped, showing his growing excitement as possibilities spilled from his mouth. "Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?"

"Nothing _bad_, I hope?" Ragetti worried aloud. I found it a bit ironic that the one-eyed pirate had chosen to stand next to a hanging jar of eyeballs, even if the jar itself disgusted me. My emotions balanced out.

Tia Dalma, who had a knowing smile throughout the men's' suggestions, eagerly leaned forward. "You know of Davy Jones, yes?"

She panned the room, but no one outwardly answered her. I just so happened to be the last one she faced, so I shrugged off her question. "A little, I suppose. Not much though."

"A man of de sea. A great sailor…until he run afoul of dat which vex _all _men." Tia Dalma added motions to her drawn out words, adding an interesting twist to her tale.

"What vexes all men?" Will asked.

Tia Dalma laughed as though his question were foolish and lowered her hand onto his. Her fingers danced within his unmoving palm. "What indeed?"

I had to look away from this interaction, even if Will obviously didn't seem phased by it. My fingers longed to be doted upon like that and were soon folding around one another because of it.

"Well the sea!" Gibbs answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Sums." Pintel offered.

"The dichotomy of good and evil." Ragetti simply said, drawing everyone's judgmental eyes.

Well, until I mumbled my own guess. "Probably rum…"

"A woman!" Jack spat, glaring at me because of the whole rum thing. His heated eyes held no affect on me, but his words surely did. The air in the room suddenly became unbearable, and an uncomfortable knot started to form in my stomach.

"A _woman_…he fell in love." Tia Dalma wasn't helping my situation because now my cheeks were burning. Hopefully the lack of light would cover it up.

"No, no, no, no." Gibbs hastily protested from my left. "I heard it was the _sea _he fell in love with."

Tia Dalma looked at Gibbs as though she wanted to slap him for contradicting her. "Same story, different versions, and all are _true_!" She swiped her hand above the table, and I imagine that was supposed to be her attack on him. "See, it was a _woman_…as changing…and harsh…and untamable as de sea."

There was a pair of eyes on me. That daunting feeling in the back of my mind was telling me so. Curiously, I shot my eyes off of Tia Dalma to find who was setting me on edge. I didn't have to travel far. Those pair of eyes belonged Will.

"Him never stopped loving her." Tia Dalma continued on, not noticing the exchange going on before her. Will and I locked eyes. That passionate feeling from when we kissed returned, and it took all I had not to reach out and simply brush his hand. It wasn't until Tia Dalma spoke again that the mood in the room took on a somber tone. "But the pain it cause him was too much to live wit' but not enough ta cause him ta die."

"What…exactly did he put into the chest?" Will asked with a brief glance my way.

Tia Dalma gingerly placed her hands over the left side of her chest. "Him heart."

"That's very poetic of him." I smiled up at Tia Dalma.

The thought of it, I thought, was sweet, but Ragetti seemed to have something else in mind. "Literally or figuratively?"

"It would _have _to be figuratively!" I laughed at him, or rather the idea of it being literal. "A chest full of love tokens such as affectionate letters and meaningful objects."

Pintel was quick to join in with me, laughing at his taller friend. "He couldn't _literally _put his heart in a chest! …Could he?" Well…he was on my side.

"It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings. And so…him carve _out_ him heart," Each syllable Tia Dalma spoke about the removal of the heart sent a new shiver through my body. The picture of someone living through that was just too much. "Lock it away in a chest and hide de chest from de world. De key…he keep wit' him at _all_ times."

"You knew this." Will said after quickly contemplating the information Tia Dalma just relayed to us. He stood to face Jack.

"I did not." Jack replied. "I didn't know where the key was. But now we do. So all that's left is to climb aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, grab the key, you and Evelyn go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass! Eh?"

He snapped his fingers and made to leave but Tia Dalma was quick to her feet, her hand stretched out towards him. "Let me see your hand."

Jack spun to display his right, uncovered hand. Obviously there was nothing wrong with that one, and I shot him a warning glare. Whether my glower or Tia Dalma's stern expression set him straight I'll never know, but the pirate rolled his eyes before finally offering his right hand.

With a gentle urgency, Tia Dalma swiftly unwrapped the stained cloth from Jack's hands. In anticipation, I stood from my seat and leaned across the table. I honestly wish I hadn't. The black bubbled mess burned across Jack's palm was sickening! I suddenly felt queasy and had to clutch my stomach before its contents flew onto the table.

I wasn't the only one to have an appalled reaction. From my left I heard a distinct gasp followed by Gibbs voicing his opinion. "The black spot!" I glanced over at him just in time to see him quickly wipe his hands and spin around once to the left, spitting once the circle was completed. Pintel and Ragetti were quick to echo his actions.

"Honestly, boys." I sighed, although I'm sure I didn't look firm enough. I mean, I _was _still tightly clutching my stomach. "Whatever silly ritual you're doing can't possibly counter-"

"My eyesight's as good as ever, just so you know." Jack cut off my comment with my smile. Once again I found myself glaring at the pirate, and this time Tia Dalma walked to the back of her hut as if to add some dramatic effect.

"You." I said, pointing my accusing finger at Jack and crossing around the table to him. "Why can't you just stay away from trouble?" Unfortunately, he wasn't paying any attention to me. He was too focused on stealing a ring off the table. "Even _now_ you're acting up! Will and I can't come save you forever, you know."

Without even looking, Jack slapped my hand away and plopped the jewelry into his pocket. I combed my fingers through my hair in frustration. "Well you might as well take the necklace with you while you're at it!" Such simple silver trinket the necklace was, with a crab formed into a heart. Right in the middle was a face of some sort, but it wasn't really necessary to memorize the necklace. So I turned my attentions back to an offended Jack.

"Evelyn," He smiled, taking a step closer to me. "What I choose to do has never affected you before. You and Will just…meddle." Jack waved his hands in my face.

I scrunched my nose with displeasure while my eyes, naturally, sought Will for help. His eyes appeared to be clouded with some emotion, but I couldn't quite place it. My expression softened the longer I looked and I somehow crossed in front of Jack without fully realizing it. This worried state of mind I was in was only focused on one person: Will. I reached out for him but didn't quite make it to him as I was suddenly interrupted by Tia Dalma finally emerging from the back.

"Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land wit' you." She said, handing him a glass container full of sand.

Jack snatched Tia Dalma's gift very cautiously and examined it. "Dirt." He finally said, his uncertain eyes shifting between the mysterious gift and Tia Dalma. "This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes."

"Is the…jar of dirt going to help?"

"If you don't want it, give it back." Tia Dalma said with an edge of warning in her voice.

As if her offer was actually going to take his free gift away, Jack hugged the jar closer to him. "No."

"Then it helps." As soon as Tia Dalma let those little words slip from her smile, Jack instantly became protective of his gift. All I did was glance at the jar and he shuffled it to the other side. As if I would actually steal something as silly as that.

Luckily someone in this small shack had the common sense to stay focused on what we actually came here for. Will, always the prepared one, looked back to the parchment with the key. "It seems…" He lifted his eyes back to Tia Dalma. "We have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman_."

"The sooner the better." I commented with a sly glance at Jack, who flinched his jar of dirt even farther away from me. Will pulled me to his other side, as if separating me from Jack, and nudged my arm. I took this as a hopeful sign that perhaps any strangeness lingering between us from that kiss had disappeared. Or at least it had for the current moment.

Sitting in her chair once more, Tia Dalma cuffed several crab shells and lifted them to her lips "A touch…of _destiny_."

I leaned in closer once she spread the shells before her. I tried to study the placements, but did not quite understand why Tia Dalma was smiling down at them. "What is all this?"

"De map to your own horizon." Tia Dalma said, her smile now lifting to my face. "There is destiny in de winds."


	12. From Myth to Reality

**Hello once again everyone! This shall be the first chapter I get to post from my new laptop (I'd been saving for a while, and I'm so happy this story gets to be the first)!**

**There are so many random things I want to just spill out onto this author's note, but sometimes people really don't care about these. So… I'll just say a few exciting ones. First, I recently got back from a splendid vacation! I'm not trying to brag, I just thought you should all know that I'm so dedicated to this story that my last chapter was actually written and posted **_**while **_**I was my trip. Love you all! Second, a while back my orchestra actually played a score mash up from the third "Pirates" movie. Being first chair viola, I usually don't get any solos. HOWEVER, I spoke with the director and actually took a violin solo (It's the cute little love medley specifically heard at the beginning of "I see Dead People in Boats" in case you're curious). Believe me, I flipped out.**

**Lastly, you have no idea how much I have been anticipating this chapter. Why? Because this particular chapter is the beginning of many wondrous events in which you, as the patient reader, have been waiting for. So get ready!**

**Yep. That's life. I'm done babbling. Enjoy the chapter!**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

Our trip back to the _Black Pearl_ seemed to be a great deal shorter than what it was to Tia Dalma's shack. I couldn't exactly piece together as to why that was so. Perhaps it was because I wasn't feeling uncomfortable this time around, or that I mainly occupied myself by taking in every detail of that key drawing. It could have even been that we'd already traveled one way and so everything just appeared faster and similar as we went back. Whatever the cause was, I couldn't help but notice the rapidly darkening sky.

Yes, evening had come and gone by the time we left that spooky swamp, but there was still something off about the heavens above. Far too many clouds still remained, and they about covered up the stars. At this rate, there probably wouldn't be any natural light left! Off in the distance I detected a low rumbling, and I swore something wet splashed against my cheek once I securely stood on the _Pearl_.

Sure enough, once we began sailing towards Tia Dalma's suggested position, the weather became foul and rain sprinkled down on us from above. By the time we reached the rocky islands whose positions matched those crab shells, the light sprinkles transformed into a thunderous rampage. Rain droplets poured down on us while high winds tossed huge waves at the creaking ship. Both my clothes and hair clung tightly to my skin as I looked out across the treacherous sea.

Standing beside me along the port-side railing was Will. At first we saw nothing except the haunting darkness of the storm, but then a sudden flash of lightning revealed a scuttled ship. It was cloven in two, severely damaged, and honestly did not reach my expectations as to what the mythical _Flying Dutchman _should look like.

"That's the _Flying Dutchman_?" Will asked of Jack and Gibbs after another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. His voice was filled with as much doubt as my mind held.

I spun around to face the two pirates, only to find their stares rather displeasing. Gibbs witlessly stared ahead while Jack rubbed his chin and refused to make any direct eye contact. I frowned at the pair of them. "A legendary icon is actually a crumbled mess… How disappointing."

"Sometimes the truth is less enjoyable than what you originally thought." Will smiled before facing the ship once more. He shrugged as his took the whole image in again. "Besides, she doesn't look like much."

"Neither do you." Jack said, filling the gap between Will and I. Gibbs was quick to squeeze in after him. "Do _not _underestimate her."

"I would've thought it'd appear more threatening in the first place. What caused such a majestic ship to fall so hard, I wonder…" I said no one in particular as I eyed the ship for clues. Something seemed off about it. Surely this couldn't be the actual _Flying Dutchman_, could it?

There was a small silence as we all blinked away salted rain droplets to gaze upon the destroyed vessel. I was just about to push my worded thought to the side when Gibbs suddenly jolted on my right. "Must have run afoul of the reef."

I eyed Gibbs curiously. Something _really _didn't feel right now because that explanation lacked any creativity whatsoever. To me, it appeared as though it was just the first thing that popped into his head after a sudden twitch, which sounded an awful lot like someone elbowing him in the chest, briefly overtook him. I felt rather odd about the whole scenario.

Before I could even question the matter, Jack jumped in with a whole new topic. "So, what's your plan, then?" Awfully intrigued by this new question, I leaned forward to better look at Will. He was so absorbed by the wreckage that he hardly glanced my way.

"_I_ row over, search the ship until I find your bloody key!" Will exasperatingly spat back at Jack because of this foolish mission we were forced to go on. I agree, the whole key search was silly, but I was not fond of this plan Will mapped out. I took a breath to protest, but the dialogue was moving far too quickly for me.

"And if there are crewmen?"

"I cut down anyone in my path." Will said before walking off, leaving me with Jack and Gibbs.

Despite my gaping mouth, Jack seemed quite pleased with everything. "I like it. Simple, easy to remember."

"Well _I _don't!" I protested, chasing after Will. Jack was quick to follow after me with a rather panicked expression on his face. I quizzically looked at him before jogging farther away from him and his deranged mind. "What do you expect me to do while you search that vessel all by yourself?"

"I _expect_ you to stay here and wait until I return." Will said without once losing his stride.

"No!" I yelled before stopping Will with a yank to his elbow. "You cannot force me to just sit here while you row towards some destroyed ship in the middle this storm to search for _his _key!" I pointed straight out to Jack who merely frowned at my finger. His eyes, large and full of unexpected horror, dodged between the two of his.

"Evelyn…"

"Make Jack go get it!" I shrieked above a clap of thunder, cutting off Will's sigh. Another streak of lightning lit the sky as I motioned towards the surrounding storm. "If he wants the trinket badly enough to fetch it _all this_, let him risk his life to get it. I don't understand why we can't just wait until tomorrow and search for it in the first place."

Will and I locked eyes. He silently pleaded for me cooperate, but I held my ground. There was no way I would allow him to row in these poor conditions. Especially since he'd be leaving useless me back here while he went _alone_. It was just unacceptable!

For some unknown reason this gave Jack cause to jump into our little spat. "You're forgetting one _very _important thing, Evelyn dearest."

"Oh?" I humorously asked, raising a brow. "And what exactly would that be?"

"You only get _my_ compass if _you _go grab that key, savvy?" He replied with a smug grin. "And I want it tonight. The sooner the better, I say."

I groaned and brushed my hands through my damp hair. I'd forgotten about that bit. "Fine!" I cried before looking back to Will. "Then I'm coming with you."

"No!" Both men shouted in unison. They curiously glanced at one another, but grunted and looked back to me since they were actually agreeing on something.

"And why not?" I frustratingly demanded, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"Because-" Will and Jack both started. Upon realizing they said the same thing yet _again_ they cut themselves short and waited for the other to continue. There was a brief pause before Will nodded for Jack to resume. "Because I am the Captain and I order you to stay.

My jaw dropped at this reasoning Jack randomly created. _Seriously?_ Will was quick to jump in and cover Jack's futile attempt of convincing me to stay put.

"For your safety, Evelyn." He said, drawing my attention. I was tired of being pushed aside like this; tired of being thought of as weak. I'm positive I could handle myself out there, and I wanted to prove it. Except there was something about Will's sincere tone that forced me to reconsider my protests for the time being.

"Yes, safety." Jack quickly nodded from the side. "Safety is key!"

We both ignored the pirate as Will continued on. "I fear there may yet be danger aboard the _Flying Dutchman_… The risk is too high, especially with this whether. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you."

_Concerned_. As always, Will was concerned for me as he was with everyone else who crossed paths with danger. However, there seemed to be something more this time. He truly _cared _for me, just as he cautiously cherishes Elizabeth. I was touched, more than touched actually, but still unconvinced. "Well what about you? If you're to go alone, who's to be sure you remain out of harm's way?"

"I assure you, love, that Will can escape any threat remaining on that ship." Jack once again smiled as he eased between Will and I. His complexion was much more relaxed as he draped his arms around my shoulders and hurriedly pushed me away. "Besides, I need you here."

"What for?" I asked after looking around to be sure Will was following after us. He was, thankfully, but that still didn't erase the puzzlement of Jack's claim.

"You'll find out later." He whispered before patting my shoulders and running ahead.

I tilted my head after him. _What was that all about? _My brain silently questioned. Sadly, nothing came to mind. Knowing Jack Sparrow, I'll find out what he means the hard way.

Will was right by my side the moment Jack left. We said nothing, each being caught up with our own thoughts, but there was a silent agreement for me to stay aboard the _Pearl_. As much as I hated myself for succumbing to this, I simply couldn't bear to go against Will and his sincere tone. For his sake alone I shall remain aboard.

As if sensing my unease, Will took hold of my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "The ship's probably abandoned by now, Evelyn. There's no reason to worry."

" _Hardly_." I nervously chuckled above more chortling thunder. Apparently the Caribbean finds this whole predicament rather humorous. "There could yet be something over there, you said so yourself. That alone is enough to make me feel apprehensive." Will greeted me with an amusing smile once I looked to him. It's strange how he finds my little side comment funny, but whatever puts him at ease is fine by me. So I simply shook my head before grabbing an already lit lantern from the mast. "Just take this with you so I know where you're at."

Will easily took the lamp from me and examined it. The glow from the flames added a splash of color to his face and brightened up this dreary night. A lightning strike later and we realized that we'd made it to the stairwell. This was where Will departed. That friendly flame suddenly became less bright in my eyes.

I quickly embraced him, ignoring the nagging in my head advising me against it. "Please be careful." I mumbled into his chest. Will wrapped my arms around me, but after a few seconds images of that glorious kiss and the dreadful feeling afterwards filled my head and I had to step back.

With a nod of his head, Will then descended down the steps. Ragetti had been assigned to ready a longboat for him, so it came as no surprise when I heard him cackle "Your chariot awaits you, Sire" as I walked over to the railing.

"Oi!" Jack cried out, quickly joining me on my left. "If you _do _happen to get captured, just say Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt. It might save your life."

"Or kill us all…" I muttered under my breath. Just another thing for me to fear, I suppose.

From below, I could barely make out Ragetti bidding Will a "Bon voyage!" as he pushed him out into the rough sea. My eyes never left that little light. This, I decided, would be my beacon of hope while he was out there.

"Douse the lamps." Jack commanded his crew. They all set off to do as their captain instructed, but I didn't move a muscle. _Couldn't_ move, really. Jack didn't appear to care though. He simply looked from Will's boat to me, then back out to Will. "You've still got that drawing then… eh?"

"That I do. In the same place it's always been."

"Good," He roughly replied as our ship slowly molded into the night sky. "Because you're going to need it."

I nodded from my post, his puzzling words not making much sense at the current moment. My attentions were latched on that one lamp. Every time a wave blocked out its light, I felt myself taking in a sharp breath and refusing to stir until once again saw its glow. The entire thing was nerve-racking, and I only felt slightly better when I witnessed the light bob onto the ship. There was still the possibility of an attack, and I found myself biting my lip because of it.

Will went allover that ship: from bow to the stern, and back to the bow. Except the lantern lingered in midair halfway across. For a split second I thought something terrible had happened, but then I rationalized myself out by realizing that Will probably just hung the lantern in order to better search the deck. I was beginning to feel muchbetter about the whole situation… until a ship emerged _from_ the ocean.

"Jack…" I croaked with large eyes, unable to believe what I saw. My breath caught. The broken, torn down ship Will and I mistook to be the mysterious _Flying Dutchman _looked foolish when compared to this new ship that just rose from the depths! _That's _how a mythical ghost ship should appear.

Too absorbed with this magical ship, I hadn't noticed when that little flame suddenly erupted into a line of fire. My admiration snapped into terror. "Jack, what's happening?" I practically begged for an answer, but all the pirate did was tensely stare ahead. Then it was gone. That line, the only thing signifying Will's safety, vanished from sight.

"Will!" I screamed into a thunderous roar from the sky, diving over the edge. Someone prevented me from completely falling over though, from swimming over to Will's aide, and that _someone _was none other than Jack Sparrow. He grabbed hold of my waist and hauled my thrashing self back with the rest of the crew. "Will! No! Jack! Let go! I have to help him! I have to-"

"And do _what_, Evelyn?" Jack harshly fired back, pinning my shoulders to the mast. Although he appeared stern, I could easily detect the panic behind his eyes when his vision randomly slid over to the actual _Flying Dutchman_. "Save him? Even if you did manage to get yourself over there, I'm sure taking down a washed-up woman wouldn't be too difficult for them."

"Them?" I countered through clenched teeth. Rain continued to pour onto my skin, and I couldn't tell if my face was drenched from the droplets cascading down my cheeks or if I were actually crying. "_Them_? So you knew the entire time that we weren't really looking at the _Flying Dutchman_? That the key couldn't _possibly _be over there? Knew what would become of Will?"

"The ship? Yes. Will's capture? No. I only thought-"

"Then why didn't you allow me to go with him?" I virtually spat at him. "I could have prevented this, could have helped defeat whatever you've condemned Will to face!"

Jack looked to the floor and sighed. By now the entire crew was watching us, curious to see what their captain would say to the struggling woman. A streak of lightning flashed once his stern eyes met mine. "No you couldn't, Evelyn. Will was taken down rather quickly, and you would surely follow." I frowned at him. He was right. I was, after all, not the most talented person with a blade. "You'll be reunited with him in no time, trust me."

"And _why _should I trust you?" I harshly asked before finally pushing myself from his grasp.

"Because I trust myself. And trusting me is the only way for you to trust yourself that dear William will come back here alive. Just wait and see." Jack smugly smiled back. He was returning to the confusing speech he always used to cover his secrets, but I wouldn't allow for it to get to me this time. I simply stared at him with heated eyes. Seeing that I was catching onto his game, Jack quickly spun his head away from me and shouted towards Gibbs. "Telescope! I need me telescope!"

The spyglass was in Jack's hands seconds after he requested it, and he took no time in lifting it to his eyes to look across to the tattered ship. I waited for some sort of update from him, but Jack stood stern. I can only be patient with these matters for so long.

I began pacing; back and forth behind Jack with his little telescope. Although everything was completely black because of the rain, I constantly peeked over to where I last saw that sliver of light. However, concerns would always fill my stomach and I'd have to glance away. Eventually I settled for pestering Jack with questions about Will's position, even though he never once returned any answers.

_An hour_ slowly ticked by. The rain had stopped a while back and the puddled deck had grown rather slippery, still I paced. I heard complaints from the crew and felt glares casted upon me because of my constant talking, still I questioned. Without the rain Jack probably had a clear shot of everything that was going on, and I'm sure he heard all of my curses, still he remained silent.

Eventually I couldn't stand it anymore. I shoved the spyglass away from him and pointed my finger dangerously close to his eyes. "Jack Sparrow, I _demand _you to tell me what's going on over there!"

Jack gently pushed away my hand before looking through his spyglass once more. "He's talking to Will.

"Who is?" I spat, walking back towards the railing. Tightly clutching the beam, I nervously tried to see for myself but found I could still see nothing even without the downpour.

"Davy Jones."

"Jack, don't play those games with me." I replied, forcing out a chuckle as I turned back to face him. "The ship may be real, but there's _no way _Davy Jones can be. The legend is old. He couldn't possibly… exist?"

A frightened gasp escaped me before I could even finish my sentence because standing directly between Jack and I was Davy Jones himself. Although I could only see his back, I knew it was him. From the sea-infested tricorn hat, pass his sea urchin thin coat, beyond his claw and tentacle shaped hands, all the way to the rotted peg leg. I no longer doubted the existence of Davy Jones. He was completely real.

An assortment of sea creatures teleported over only seconds after Davy Jones first appeared. One by one they captured the crew, and it wasn't long before a hammerhead shark crewman had a sword held to my throat and a moist hand tangled through my hair. The feeling of it sent a shiver through me, and I wondered who was more frightening: the cursed skeleton pirates or the deformed sea crew of the _Flying Dutchman_.

"Oh." I heard Jack sigh once all but him was good and captured.

"You have a debt to pay." The low, menacing voice of Davy Jones reverberated across the ship. He began advancing on Jack, and I actually felt frightened for him. "You've been captain of the _Black Pearl _for thirteen years. _That _was our agreement."

"Technically I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon." Jack tried to explain, but Davy Jones was quick to cut him off.

"Then you were a _poor _captain, but a captain nonetheless. Have you not yourself all these years as _Captain Jack Sparrow_?" He laughed, with his crew rapidly joining him, before finally spinning round for me to see him.

The picture struck me so hard that my stomach began flipping over. His eyes were cold, colder than any I had ever seen before. They displayed nothing but pain, cruelty, and death. Surrounding those eyes was a face fit to match those of his crew. With a cephalopod shaped head and octopus-like tentacles protruding from his chin, Davy Jones resembled a sea creature living in the deepest, darkest, most unforgiving depths of the sea. This face tied in with his remaining features made Davy Jones _far_ more frightening than the entirety of the cursed skeleton pirates. I'd never seen anything like it before.

Jack's face twitched as the laughter continued on. I knew there was a plan forming in his head, for all I know it could be playing out right now, but I was too absorbed with Davy Jones to think further into it. "You have my payment. One soul to serve on your ship is already over there."

Despite the threatening blade, I thrashed out after Jack._ One soul already over there? _How _dare_ he sacrifice Will for his himself! I didn't care about the knife and I didn't care about the icy eyes of Davy Jones suddenly falling upon me, I just wanted Jack out of my sights. A sharp tug on my hair easily brought me wincing back towards the hammerhead. Immediately I tensed up, although this didn't prevent my eyes from burning holes through Jack's head.

"One soul is not equal to another." Davy Jones continued, his attentions now returning to Jack.

"Aha! So we've established my proposal is sound in principle and now we're just haggling over a price."

So Jack wasn't sacrificing Will after all. He was just using him as an example. I suppose this was acceptable, though I'm still not too fond of the whole situation anyways.

"Price?" Davy Jones exclaimed before popping his wet lips.

"Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?" Jack asked, daringly advancing upon the legendary captain.

Davy Jones examined Jack, briefly looked away as if to analyze everything, and returned his gaze. I straightened myself up, anticipating hearing just how much my lying; intolerable; scamming; good-for-nothing _'friend' _was worth. "One hundred souls… three days."

_Jack Sparrow is worth one hundred souls? Please!_ I rolled my eyes at the mere suggestion of it.

"You're a diamond, mate." Jack thanked before spinning around and walking towards me. We made eye connection and he smiled, but I still wasn't settled. "Send me back the boy. I'll get right off."

_Yes, do send back the boy._ I silently commanded just has my hammerhead oppressor took several steps forward. He released his hold on my hair to better emphasize a hiss he launched at Jack. Terror once again filled my veins. Not because of the razor sharp metal hanging over my throat or the evil look Davy Jones had, but because of Will.

"_I _keep the boy." Davy Jones bellowed, revealing my deepest horrors. Surely he couldn't just _take _Will, could he? I desperately looked to Jack, but his back was now to me. I was in this alone. "A good-faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine more to go."

"No." I gasped under the laughter of the ominous crew. Will can't be left alone to die under Davy Jones's command! Not after basically being forced to go over there in the first place. I can't leave him. Not again. I won't allow it!

"Ninety-eight." I attempted to shout, although none heard me since my voice quivered under everyone's chortles. Taking a deep breath, I shoved the hammerhead's sword away from my face and stepped forward. All the laughter stopped before I even spoke, and this time I had a much more determined tone. "Ninety-eight more souls."

The cruel captain looked me up and down, his lips once again popping. "And who are you?"

"Evelyn Pierce." I replied, lifting my head a little higher so as to appear more superior. Jack's eyes twinkled as he looked upon me and a mischievous smile now graced his mouth.

"Ninety-eight it is." He smiled, obviously thinking nothing of my action. The hammerhead jerked me back by the arm to our original placing. "You're lucky, Jack Sparrow, to have _such_ a _devoted_ crew."

More snickers washed throughout the deck, but Jack cut them short this time around. "Is not Evelyn Peirce worth _more _than one soul to you? She's much more willing than the average female, and did volunteer to join your crew for me own sake." He asked of Davy Jones, whose face remained firm the entire time. When Jack's shoulders slumped, I knew he wasn't getting anything more out of me. "No? Well then, have you not met Will Turner? He's noble, heroic, a terrific soprano. Worth at least four… maybe three and a half."

_I can't believe he's still trying._ I scoffed, looking down to my shoes. Davy Jones still didn't appear to be wavering, so Jack might as well give it a rest.

"And did I happen to mention… he's in love?" He continued much to my startled self. Curious and with a sudden lightness in my stomach, I peeked my eyes back up. Jack was circling Davy Jones while the mythical being stared straight ahead. _Particularly_ at me. I felt uncomfortable under his burdened eyes. "_With a girl_. Due to be married… _Betrothed_. Dividing him from her and her from him… would only be half as cruel as actually allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony… Eh?"

A look of, almost, compassion seemed to cross Davy Jones. As Jack spoke of Elizabeth, I dared myself to actually stare directly into the captain's eyes. His features softened slightly and his eyes told of a deep hidden sorrow. It was all too much for me. I _had _to look away before I crumbled where I stood.

There was a pause after Jack's speech. A quiet moment I grasped to for hope that _maybe _Davy Jones would release Will since he was in love, but I was wrong. "I keep them both, ninety-eight souls." He then turned back around to face Jack. "But I wonder, Sparrow… can you live with this? Can you condemn innocent people, your _friends_, to a lifetime of servitude in your name while you roam free?"

Jack looked at me, his eyes tracing my face, before smiling back at Davy Jones. "Yep. I'm good with it." Much to the amused gasps of the _Dutchman _crew, I lunged for Jack again. The hammerhead had a better grip on me this time and I was effortlessly propelled backwards by my own force. How _dare _he say such a thing when I'm standing _right in front of him_! Will's _definitely _finding out about this later.

"Shall we seal it in blood? I mean… umm, ink?" Jack stuttered. Davy Jones paid little attention to my _'friend' _as he wrapped his tentacle hand around Jack's black spot. Jack appeared _very _uncomfortable under this deranged handshake, and yet I found myself smiling. After all I've seen Jack do today, he deserved this _at least_.

"Three days." I heard Davy Jones mutter as he pulled his hand back, symbolizing the need for a soul-hunt Jack would have to face _without _the help of either Will or myself. In fact, I smiled at the thought of not helping Jack this time around. Well, until Davy Jones turned to me. My smile quickly retreated after that.

Amongst the changing of _"Three Days" _by all the crewmen, Davy Jones headed straight for me. The hammerhead dropped my arm to roughly shove me at his captain. I felt very small under the shadow of Davy Jones, but nothing prepared me for his tentacle hand wrapping around my waist. I gasped with disgust and cringed away from the sight. Unfortunately this left me staring into the eyes of a cackling Davy Jones.

His eyes bore into mine as the world around us suddenly became fuzzy. I felt as though I was being lifted, and yet no breeze brushed my face. We were simply aboard the darkened decks of the _Black Pearl _one minute and atop the crusted floorboards of the _Flying Dutchman_ the next. I hadn't even felt wooden beams pass through me as we transported across the sea. My heart rapidly pounded as if making up for the missed beats during the journey here.

Davy Jones wasted no time in slinking his tentacle away and clearing the space around me. In the center stood a small line of non-sea-creature, actual human men. One of them _must _be Will, but I couldn't tell their faces apart for some odd reason. My legs were also starting to become rather wobbly.

"Evelyn?" Will's voice echoed in my head. However, I was finding it hard to focus. "Evelyn, what are you doing here?"

I wanted to answer him, I really did, but I couldn't speak. It felt like everything had been pushed out of my chest, leaving me with no choice but to gasp in the musty air. Everything was spinning now and I desperately clutched my head so as to make it stop.

Then he was looking straight at me. Will's face was the only clear picture I could see, and it was much more flattering that the multiple images of Davy Jones filling the space behind him. I gripped his jacket and I tried to smile, but I really don't think it came out right.

"You _cannot _bring her aboard." Will's voice was forceful, and yet full of panic. Davy Jones must have only recognized the latter part because he started his foreboding laugh once again, and his crew obediently following his lead. Will, however, remained determined as he spun around to face our new captain. "Just _look _at what you've done! You must send her back!"

"Will, don't…" I began, reaching for his face so he'd turn back to me. Instead I found myself collapsing to the floor. The space around me spun while I remained a heap on the floor, or at least this is what it felt like.

Someone gently turned me over so I was lying on my back rather than on my side, and brushed my hair away from my face. I heard my name called a few times, and felt a good shake or two, but all of it was fading. Everything was falling into darkness, covered up by one distinct sound. The one sound I longed to fade away like the rest of the world was, and yet it was the only thing I heard before completely slipping away: the cruel laughter of Davy Jones.


	13. Trapped

**Ah! This is my last update before school starts! Well, we all knew it'd have to happen at some point. Sorry I was only able to get three chapters in this summer, but thanks to those of you who have stuck with me thus far! I really appreciate it.**

**So I'm going to do something I've never done before: respond to some reviews. Why? Because I feel like it :) So whether I list your name below or not, do know that every review never fails to make me smile.**

Dalonega Noquisi: _I just wanted to say your little reviews always make me laugh. My favorite was when you called Evelyn 'Evie' because I'd never even thought of that as a nickname, haha!_

Bonniebeast: _I have never laughed SO HARD after reading a review until I saw yours pop up. It seriously made my day. 'Groped by a squid headed…' Oh man, that was brilliant!_

(Amber and) Ruby: _Should I just call you Ruby from now on since you sign that way? Anyway, your review made me so happy! I don't mean to sound ignorant or anything, but it's nice to know I wrote something worth being quoted :)_

**Thanks again everyone! We're just two away from fifty reviews! I know we can pull this story up to that number. Besides, I've been planning this bit for a while now. I hope you enjoy it and become inspired to review.**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

At first there was nothing; merely a soundless gloom in which I found no escape. Then I felt motion. At first I barely noticed the rocking sensation, but then it became sharper, more prominent; back and forth from my left to right side. Although the swaying had been unexpected, I still found it rather calming.

From far off I began to detect the muted creak of a ship. As it grew, more sounds attached to it: shouts of men, the whistling of the wind, a rasp of a wave. All of it flooded into my ears, growing louder by the second, until one final groan from the ship cracked my eyes open.

I was in a room, staring up at a wooden ceiling. Beneath me I felt a very uncomfortable, lumpy mattress, so I was obviously on a bed. However, that's all I was able to piece together in my muddled state. My eyes scanned the beams above me while my body remained still. _Where am I?_

Well I'm on a ship, that much was clear. Except none of this resembled the _Black Pearl _at all! Surely I had to be there, right? I mean, where else would I…

Scuttled ship. Rain. Lantern. Panic. Capture. Sacrifice. Deceit. Ghost ship. Will… Davy Jones.

"The _Flying Dutchman_." I gasped as my eyes widened. I shot into a sitting position, although I really wished I hadn't as pain rapidly raced to my head. My hands immediately pressed against my forehead in an attempt to alleviate the pain. It really didn't help much.

While using as little movement as possible, I scanned the surrounding area. This chamber I was randomly placed in was small, _very _small. The bed was centered at the back wall, and even then there was barely enough space to walk in front of it before reaching the door. This mattress filled the majority of the available space since it was bulky enough to fit two people, although they would be uncomfortable close to one another. Other than that, all the room really held was a shabby little stand.

All in all, this was the worst room ever to be assembled. I still don't know how I ended up here in the first place! Well, sitting confused on the bed wasn't going to help. I had to find Will. He'd explain everything to me.

Disregarding the sting of my head, I carefully left the bed. My legs shook as I stood, but nothing pained me until I took a step. With the mere lift of my foot the headache returned in full force. I stumbled back, hitting the rim of the bed and falling onto the mattress with a loud _pop_. Dust quickly affiliated the surrounding air.

As I coughed and swatted the dust away from my face, the door clicked opened. I snapped my eyes to the entrance, startled as to _whom_ exactly would be entering. Seeing that it was Will put me at ease.

"Thank goodness it's only you." I sighed as he shut the door behind him, locking it for good measure.

"Evelyn, we-" Will scolded as he spun away from the door. When he caught sight of me lying halfway off the bed with a cloud of dirt still floating around, his firm face became lighter. "What are you doing?" His voice trailed as I simply shrugged it off. Will shook his head. "Never mind that. There's something we must discuss."

"Good," I said before pushing myself into a sitting position. "Because I'm terribly confused about this whole situation."

"Really? I thought you would have known exactly what you were doing when you _volunteered_ to come over here." Will asked angrily. He paced in front of me, almost stepping on my toes a few times since the room was so small.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. "Well I'm _sorry _if I felt guilty for abandoning you!"

"Being stranded aboard this blasted ship is not nearly as important as you staying _away_ from it." He shouted, pointing a finger at me. "I would have understood… I would have accepted this fate without feeling a hint of betrayal."

"Will," I sighed into his quickening stride. "_Please_ don't say that. There's more than one way to look at this."

"How?" He snapped. "The crew is harsh and unforgiving. Slip up once and they will surely kill you."

"But-"

"I can't let them do that, Evelyn!" Will's words may be sincere, but his face remained bitter.

"Will…"

He sighed with frustration, dragging a hand through his hair. "It was dangerous of you to come here. You will only prove to be a distraction, nothing more."

"Will-" I began, my anger boiling over.

"At least I knew you were in relatively safe hands aboard the _Pearl_-"

"William Turner!" I screamed. This easily put his frantic pacing to a stop. "A _distraction_? After everything we've been through, and that's _all_ you think I am? _All _I've advanced to? Someone incapable of defending themselves and constantly in need of assistance? Oh Will, you are quite mistaken. I'm positive I can protect myself. _You _above all should know this since _you _have been my tutor from the very beginning!" Despite my argument, Will still seemed unconvinced. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I'd end up here whether I volunteered or not."

"Why would you even think that?"

"Jack Sparrow." I coldly replied. Will carefully watched as I pulled out that little paper of the key drawing. "You never took it, and I forgot I even had it until Jack asked me if I did. He hadn't even appeared angry when I confirmed his thoughts. In fact, he almost seemed… _pleased_." I tried thinking back to that moment, but all of it just appeared fuzzy. "Anyway, did you really think he'd let you go aboard the _Dutchman_ without having this parchment; the _sole purpose_ of our deal with him?"

His brows knitted together as he stared at the drawing. After a moment of silence, his stern eyes slid over to me. "I still could have handled things on my own, you know this. You never should have come."

Will was angry, that much was clear. I can't exactly say I was too thrilled at the moment either. His words stung, and I hoped he felt the same with mine.

Arguing would get us nowhere though, especially since I was still clueless with most of this. We needed a change of topic. To something that _wouldn't_ end with us at each other's throats.

"How did you find out I volunteered, anyway?" I asked after a tense pause.

"Jones practically flaunted it!" Will snapped, tossing his hands to the heavens. "The _entire_ crew knows, whether they were aboard the _Pearl _or not." He dropped his hands and heatedly looked at me. Our eyes locked in an unfriendly manor, but then his face suddenly softened. Will sighed and turned his head, shaking it as he looked to the floorboards. "There's something else…"

"What?" I asked when he didn't answer. A sickening feeling was making its way into my stomach once Will softly glanced up at me.

"They seem to think we're engaged."

I felt my eyes instantly widen. "You've got to be joking." He slowly shook his head. I broke out into a cold sweat and my heart wildly beat. Panic was all I felt as I gripped onto the scratchy sheets of the bed. "Wh-… what? H-How?" My head harshly pounded with my heart rate, the headache returning. "_Who_ gave them that impression?"

"I was hoping you'd be able to fill that in for me." Will said with a soft smile.

"Will, I swear I never said anything. Your friendship is dear to me and I'd never do anything to tarnish it."

"Then I fear we may be the ones to blame. Unintentionally, of course, yet still at fault." He replied. I inclined my head, not quite understanding him. Will sighed before explaining himself. "You offered to come here, something I'm sure Jones has rarely seen amongst the living. Even the crew was speaking of its suddenness! Then once you were transported over, I argued for your return. I stood my ground long after you fainted, although I had to change my claim once it was clear you would remain. So instead I fought for you to be placed apart from the men, for obvious reasons. Much to the crews' disappointment and shock, Jones agreed and had his smallest storage closet cleared… for us to share."

"Oh…" I bit my lip. This was a tad uncomfortable, but I really didn't want to delve into its gauche. "Well that's certainly unlike him."

Will nodded his agreement as he leaned back against the wall. "He seemed to take pity upon you lying on the floor. Perhaps Jones has a soft spot after all."

"I sincerely doubt that." I added with a roll of my eyes. "He may have graciously accepted my sleeping quarters to be separate, but have you _seen _this place? The stand beside me looks as though it may fall apart with a simple touch, the walls are so compacted that we barely have enough room to walk, and this rickety bed can barely fit the two of us. With the dust, lumpy mattress, single pillow, and scratchy sheets, we're sure to be in for a rather painful night. Yes, this was a kind gesture, but there was not a single considerate thought given."

"I see how you would think this way." Will said after his eyes analyzed every inch of the small quarters. "Especially now that you'll be expected to work since you've awoken."

"Well, I figured as much." I blew up at my hair with a sigh. "Do you have any idea as to what I'm supposed to do?"

He shook his head. "None. We'll have to find out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Why not now?"

"I've finally been relieved after hours of labor, and as far as they know, you're still unconscious. So we might as well take what rest has been given to us. We'll need it, especially if another storm arises." Will explained as he crossed to the opposite side of the bed. His eyes questioningly scanned the empty space beside me.

I felt as though we were back in Tortuga at _The Rowdy Rascal _all over again; same strange predicament, only within a reduced space and about a significantly smaller bed. I sighed. "There's really no other alternative. Neither of us could possibly fit comfortably on the condensed floorboards. We might as well accept things for what they are."

After a lengthy silence, Will finally nodded and fell onto the bed beside me. I offered him our only pillow, but he refused to accept it. "Enjoy your final night of freedom." He smiled before rolling onto his side and dismissing the subject.

I stared at Will's back for a while, waiting to see if he'd change his mind. He never moved a muscle. So I neatly patted the pillow down behind me and collapsed onto it, facing away from Will. Although I had just awoken from an lifeless state which lasted for _who knows how long_, my pounding head told me that hadn't quite counted as slumber. Therefore, I curled into a tight ball and waited for sleep to find me.

~.~.~.~.

I don't quite know how long we slept before someone harshly hammered on the door multiple times. Will and I jolted awake as unrecognizable words were shouted through the wood, followed by some more rattling punches. It was so heavy that I thought the door would break free of its hinges! Fortunately the faded old wood held.

Will swiftly ushered me onto the deck. There were no storms at the moment, which was a relief, but this didn't prevent me from being put to work. And they held no mercy upon me for being a woman. I was expected to do just as much as the men, whether it be assisting with the rigging or swabbing the deck. However, my lack of upper body strength was quickly noticed and I was pushed more towards a position they called a cooper. Basically, I was in charge of watching barrels.

Although, being female, I was occasionally harassed, especially when Will was assigned elsewhere. Nothing too drastic though: slap here, a whistle there, a few bigot words uttered. _Something _prevented them from taking that extra step though. I was very thankful for whatever this fear of theirs was, but curious all the same. What could possibly frighten these unforgiving pirates?

I had no sense of time aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, as the skies were constantly dark. Will and I could have been there for a few days, or even months! Perhaps a couple of hours… there was really no way to tell. All I knew was to work when they told me, eat when they fed me, and sleep when dismissed. As long as I followed orders, I would be spared from their cruel punishments.

Even then I was under constant surveillance. I'm sure it was because the crew was waiting for the moment I would mess up. Luckily, I was good at being a cooper. Keeping an eye on the ships necessities was simple, and recreating broken barrels wasn't too difficult after some practice. The challenge lied with transporting these goods. Taking them to the kitchen was the worst since the food supply had temporarily been moved to the level _above_ the galley.

I carried barrel after barrel down those vile steps. Seeing as this was my duty, I performed it without any assistance. After a while, it began to show. Beads of perspiration dotted my forehead and my limbs shook under the unaccustomed weight. It was a bit strenuous, but I never asked for help. Instead it was given.

"Need a hand?" I heard Will question from the opposite side of the wooden barrel. For a brief, glorious moment, he lifted the container and my limps rejoiced because of the lessoned load.

"No, thank you." I said despite my aching self, peeking over the rim at him. By now I was determined to disprove my helplessness. "I've been carrying these for a while now, and this is the last one needed at the moment. I can handle this."

My words didn't seem to faze Will because he continued to hold the barrel. "Evelyn, please, I insist. You're nearly shaking you're so drained."

"Will, I've _got it_." I cried, but still he clutched the barrel. My eyes narrowed. "Let go!" Thinking he would still hold on, I jerked the barrel back. However, Will had actually listened to me this time and removed his hands. As a result, I propelled back into a pile of neatly stacked containers. They tumbled over the railing, its important contents sliding across the main deck far below.

I stared wide eyed after them, unable to comprehend the mistake I'd just made. In shock, the barrel I held slipped through my fingers and crashed into the space between me and Will. Some sort of liquid seeped out and spread onto our boots. As if the terrible mess underneath wasn't enough.

Confused, angered comments could be heard forming beneath us. There was only a matter of time before the crew pieced everything together and searched for the source. No one else could possibly be blamed for the mess of broken barrels except for me… the cooper.

My eyes locked onto Will, frightened and uncertain. _Now what? _He remained silent. I was in the process of accepting my fate when he finally turned to me.

"Kiss me." Will unexpectedly said.

My stomach lurched. Thoughts of our first kiss instinctively came flooding back. All of them. Every touch, emotion, and sensation flashed through me. "What?"

"Make the fault mine." The shouts from below were becoming louder as Will attempted to explain himself. He briefly glanced over the railing, but his concerned face flashed back with a sense of panic. "You are the only woman aboard, Evelyn, and they are cold-blooded _pirates_. Whatever punishment they give to me will be far less than anything they give you."

"No, Will, I… I can't!" My voice caught as my eyes traced his face. He was right, but his sacrifice was too great. "They'll attack you. I can't let you take the blame for this."

"… And I can't let them hurt you." Will slowly whispered. Despite the tense situation, my heart fluttered.

I placed my left hand upon his compassionate face and shut my eyes before lifting my lips onto his. I expected to feel those same affectionate emotions as last time, but instead I felt the opposite: overwhelmed. I now heard footsteps accompanying those aggressive shouts. They were coming. Thoughts exploded throughout my mind with one in particular repeating itself: _This is wrong_.

I cracked my eyes open and pulled away. I had to tell Will this was too much, that I couldn't handle this… But then I looked up.

Our eyes met. My heart soared when Will came closer, and I didn't protest when our lips crashed against one another for a second time. His hands were suddenly on my arms while mine traveled to the back of his neck. We were close, but not nearly close enough. Will forced me back until my spine smacked against the wall those barrels once were. My mouth parted from the impact, yet our kiss remained. I was left breathless from this desirous sensation.

With my heart rising to my throat, I did something I never thought I'd do. I slapped Will across the face. A chorus of gasps from the surrounding, newly emerged, gaping sea-crew quickly followed.

With Will's body pressed against mine, I was temporarily shielded from their cold stares. Before exposing myself, I apologetically looked at Will. Remorse lined the edges of his face, but affection filled his gentle brown eyes. The image was powerful. I regretted ever gazing back at him.

"How _dare _you!" I forced out. I choked on my words, so I aggressively pushed Will off me as a distraction. Davy Jones's once angry crew were quick to respond with haughty laughter. "Forcing yourself upon me like this and distracting me from my duties? Look at what you made me do!"

"Evelyn, I'm sorry! I just-"

"No, Will." I replied without looking him in the eye. I couldn't. We were both forcing out this argument for my protection and Will's sanity. The debt I owed him had reached a new level, and I was losing control. Especially after that meaningful, passionate kiss we shared. "You've crossed the line this time."

I kept my voice as even as possible, but everything was slowly crashing dawn. There was only a matter of time before I cracked, exposing our little act. I had to leave.

Although the crew may have thought I was stomping away in anger, in reality I was trying to escape. I refused to look at Will as I passed him. He didn't need to see how much this was hurting me, and I didn't want to see anyone harm him. If there was to be a punishment, my sad eyes were the last thing Will needed to see. He would have to be strong by holding on to a happier memory… perhaps even our kiss.

I pressed my fingers to my lips as I pushed through the crowd of pirates, a flutter of emotions releasing in my stomach. When I reached the rear, the pirate named Koleniko latched onto my elbow. The pufferfish portion of his face swelled into a half smile. "What about a kiss for the road, eh sweetheart?" He mockingly cooed.

As he laughed, I ripped myself free from his grasp. Normally I would have glared, but I couldn't bring myself to it. Instead I ran down the stairs and refused to stop until I reached the quarters Will and I shared. I slammed the door shut and slid down the wood. Feeling ashamed and defeated, I drew in my knees and allowed for any and all emotions to come spilling out of me.

~.~.~.~.

Although the room was small, I paced across every inch of it in a frenzy. My fingers tangled with my hair as I clutched the top of my head. Taking several deep breaths, I blinked back a new onslaught of tears attempting to squeeze out. Will had been absent for far longer than I anticipated, and I was beginning to worry.

I was in the back corner when the door finally clicked open. Alarmed, my eyes instantly snapped open. Will, filling the entire doorframe, slowly hobbled into the room. His cheek was lightly bruised and he was leaning heavily upon his left foot.

"Will, thank God!" I cried, rushing to him without a moment's hesitation. A pool of fresh tears spilled out with relief. I threw my arms around him, but pulled away once I heard him wince. "What did they do to you?" I tentatively asked, sliding his right arm over me and leading him to the bed.

When we reached it, Will wearily plopped onto the mattress. His head slammed against the top of the headboard and he released a pained sigh. I shamefully flinched away. In an attempt to cover for it, I snagged the pillow to place under his head.

"I don't wish to burden you." He replied upon seeing my reaction. "I was given a warning, that's all you need to know. They still need me to work the ship; I'll be fine."

"But Will," I guiltily sighed, wondering what sort of injuries were hidden from sight. "You're clearly injured and I'm the one to blame. Please, _I beg you_, tell me what they did."

"Do not place this all on yourself, Evelyn. I was as much at fault." He was completely avoiding my pleas. Probably for my wellbeing… again.

I snapped my vision to his face. "How? _I _was the one being too proud to ask for assistance when I truly needed it. Not _you_."

"Perhaps… but I really should understand you're not as frail as you once were. You _have _evolved. I just refused to accept it." Will said with his eyes locked onto mine the entire time. I remained silent. When did this stressful situation change to enlightenment?

After a long silence, Will grabbed my attention by reaching for my hand. He gently traced the back with his thumb before giving it a tight squeeze. "Come to bed, you need you rest as much as I do. We can forget today ever happened."

Rather than looking at his face, I turned to our joined hands. Forget today? Our heated argument, my demanding schedule aboard this ship, the guilt of causing harm, Will risking his safety for my own, and that kiss? He just wants me to overlook that confusing yet powerful connection we shared? The most genuine thing I've ever felt and I'm supposed to just forget about it?

I raised my eyes to his. "I can't."

With a soft smile, I slid by my palm out of his grasp. Will's face remained stoic as I rounded to the other side of the bed and climbed in. He then gazed at me with sympathetic eyes. Maybe, just _maybe_, he was thinking of the same moment I was. My heart accelerated as we exchanged glances.

But is it wrong of me to hope for something that can never be?

Feeling overwhelmed once more, I removed my eyes. Even though Will was peacefully sitting beside me, I felt trapped; both with this situation and my own emotions. A silly thought unfolded in my mind. One I was hesitant to do yet longed for. I silently debated over what to do for a while before nervously biting my lip and deciding to just act on it.

I sunk down slightly and scooted closer to Will. He tensed once I gently rested my head upon his chest, buy only because of pain. Not once did he object. In fact, Will scooped up one my hands and allowed for me to trace his fingertips.

As we silently cuddled, I could hear the steady pounding of his heart. It was calming and allowed my mind to be at peace. "Thank you." I whispered as sleep gradually cascaded around me.

Just before I drifted off, I felt the sensation of a pair of lips gracing the top of my head. I curled my toes with pleasure before finally embracing the darkness.


	14. My Fault

**Cheers! I'm back! So I guess that's a celebration? Maybe? Depends on what you think I suppose. At any rate, I'm going to try yet **_**another **_**new thing to make reviewing more exciting (I did it with another another and it appears to be working). SO! This is your Author's Challenge, and it's very simple: Quote your favorite line from "Pirates of the Caribbean." It could be anything you want. A conversation, one line, an action. Or even something I wrote. Whatever you like. Just have fun!**

Ariah23: _You were my fiftieth review! If I could, I would present you with one million dollars and spray you with confetti. Hooray! But thanks ever so much for your review. It left me mystified._

Artemis:_ Oh such urgency! Haha! I'm glad the impulse to review flew through your fingertips :)_

RenegadeVampireGirl: _Your review gave me Goosebumps! :D_

Ruby:_ You made me blush, not even kidding. I know that feeling of being lost in a book and I cannot believe I was able to pass that on to someone. Ah! I'm just all giddy now._

**Thank you to everyone, whether you reviewed or not (although, you know, reviewing is preferable). It's such a joy watching this story grow :) Anyway, here is your much awaited chapter. And it features one of those super-secret deleted scenes I referred to earlier. Enjoy!**

**~MisticLight**

**P.S. I'm making this chapter slightly longer than any previous ones for two reasons: 1.) There was a lot I wanted to include and everything just sort of exploded, and 2.) School has started back up and I have no idea how often I will be able to post. I JUST WISH I COULD POST EVERY SINGLE DAY! But there is simply not enough time in the day. Why time? WHY?!**

~.~.~.~.

Another pound to the door, another startled awakening.

I nearly leapt to my feet from the sudden outburst, temporarily forgetting who my pillow had been that night. Honestly, I hadn't meant to slam my hand into Will's gut as I launched off the bed. It was a simple mistake made with a groggy mind, nothing more. Regardless, the first words I uttered this particular day were those of apologies.

As usual, I was forgiven. He assured that had I not reacted in such a fashion he would still be asleep. I found this hard to believe though. Will had a tendency of lightening the reality of things. Even with his injuries from the prior night—had it actually been night? I've truly lost count of the hours and days—Will played them off as nonexistent. He was rather good at pretending nothing was amiss too: the light bruise was basically gone and his limp appeared to have vanished as well. The removal of the hobble could have easily been pure determination not to make me worry though… which ultimately succeeded. It was with a clear head that I led Will through the doorway of our room and onto the deck.

But that's when things turned sour and I didn't feel as certain: a storm had caught up with us.

_Perfect,_ I glowered in my head before turning to Will. I looked him up and down as a soft rain began to fall upon us. "And you're sure you're well enough to work in this approaching storm?" As if on cue, the first strike of lightning flashed once I finished my sentence.

"Do I have a choice?" He commented with a small shrug. I took a step towards him with the intention of forcing him back into our closet of a room, but the hammerhead first mate, Maccus, put a halt to that.

He stepped between us, despite that gap being rather small to begin with. I backtracked so as to offer us more space, but he merely glared between Will and I. "We won't be having any of _that_ today; last night's show was enough." My eyes snapped to Will's, but I lowered them just as quickly when I felt a blush forming, _that kiss… _and then a frown, _those penalties…_

Maccus snarled once more, "Pierce! … Turner! … Get to work, the two of ye!" He unnecessarily shoved me forward, with a clap of thunder rumbling all around as soon as he touched my shoulder. I blinked into the sky, wondering if perhaps nature was on my side. Another shove, this one to the back, and a fuming shout of "_Move!_" proved me otherwise.

Not wishing to be touched anymore, I wasted no time in quickening my pace. I was several feet ahead of Maccus when Will forced his way beside me. His eyes fell to me, but I refused to meet them. Perhaps he was confused over not getting the same treatment, or upset with himself for not defending me. I didn't care to know. It was a few shoves anyway, nothing more. I could take that. I was strong in that regard. Besides, even if Will had jumped to my aid, there could have been dire consequences. He said last night was a warning, and I feared what that next stage was.

And so we were set to work upon the storm-ridden _Flying Dutchman_. The longer we worked, the heavier the storm became. Waves rapped against the side of the ship with such a force that it toppled over the railing. A hard wind flew from the East, making the now pouring rain feel as though millions of tiny needles were stabbing my face. It didn't take long for my clothes to become attached to my skin or for my damp hair to stick to my cheeks and neck. Lightning flared within the span of a few seconds, but the rumbling of thunder remained far behind, as though it were waiting for us to sail into its deepening voice.

I was prepared for that moment, but it never came. Instead I heard the somewhat distant sound of an organ. At first I questioned what sort of madman would play during this weather, but then I remembered what ship this was and who captained it. No doubt that madman was Jones.

The dramatic melody was odd. Never before had I heard such an emotional tune. It held sorrow, anger, frustration, and pure insanity embedded within its cords. But also something else. Something I could not yet name but knew of all the same.

The organ was a nice surprise to listen to… until more labor was commanded. All hell breaks loose when such a powerful storm arises. The music thus became nothing but an easily forgotten memory.

Despite Maccus forcing Will and I apart seemingly hours beforehand, we were stationed together for every task. None seemed to care for the incident from before. They simply forgot, just as it slipped their minds that I had little upper body strength within me. A cooper was not needed in a gale such as this, so I was given the more demanding tasks. And if given an assignment, I was expected to carry it out or so pay the price.

Thank goodness Will was around to lend a hand! I pushed him away at first, but as the duties piled up, my energy began to fade. I was not use to such strain being forced upon me. So unless I wished to collapse upon the deck, I had no choice but to accept his assistance. He only stepped in when absolutely needed though. It was _my _work, not his. My body may have felt weak, but my mind still held strong to the thought of doing things on my own.

Will and I scurried about the deck in the pouring rain, securing all sorts of possessions to the ship so they wouldn't fly overboard. We hauled crates of gunpowder to the lower levels so none would get wet. Sometimes wooden beams would have to be hammered into holes suddenly mutilating the ship. All of it became more and more strenuous the longer the storm lasted. Soon I couldn't tell if the liquid I batted from my eyes was that of rain, salt water, or my own perspiration.

Things didn't become too complicated until it was decided the cannons had to be moved. We were each given ropes and forced to pull back whenever the call of "_Heave!_" echoed through the crew. At first it wasn't so bad; difficult to do, especially with the rain making the twine wet, but considerably more bearable than running, and ultimately slipping, upon the dampened deck.

It wasn't until the second cannon had been attached that I noticed calluses forming upon the palms of my hand. I looked back to Will, as I was positioned at the front with him directly after me, to inspect his hands. But I heard my name aggressively shouted with a warning to pay more attention to my work before I got a proper look. Small chortles spewed around me, but they were tired and soon expired. I simply grumbled as another "_Heave!_" sounded off. My hands were going to murder me for this.

Two hauls later and something caught on the attaching lines of the cannon we were currently raising. It just paused in midair. We as a crew attempted to tug on it one final time, but it simply wouldn't budge. Using my mutilated hands as a shield, I glared up at the blasted cannon.

As I did, a call rang out after another soft thunder, "Secure the mast tackle, Mr. _Turner_!" My eyes widened, _Mr. Turner? _I snapped my head towards him only to find his own vision upon the cannon. A now impatient call followed, "Set to it!"

Will scampered up the ladder beside us without a moment's hesitation, leaving me to wait with the rest of the crew. I pulled back even harder on the rope to make up for his absence. I'm sure the others did this as well because the cannon would fall under an uneven force. The twine tangled around it would simply snap and my whole row would be to blame for the damage. So we pulled back—our only complaint being grunts from the sudden strain—and waited for Will to reestablish the mast tackle.

Lightning blinded me, and still I held on. The loudest thunder of the evening roared throughout the ship, but this only made me tighten my grasp. I refused to have this rope slip through my fingers in fear of the _Dutchman _crews' reprimands. Nothing would make me release my hold.

That is, nothing except the cannon's abrupt descent.

I tried pulling harder, but the force of the weapon was too strong. It had too much influence upon the rope, causing the twine to speedily glide through my already battered hands. The burning sensation across my palm triggered me to release my hold. Seconds later, the unforgiving crash of disassembling metal scraping across wood echoed through the storm. The sheer impact threw me backwards with the rest of the crew. My back brutally smacked against the floorboards with my head trailing shortly after.

Amongst a dizzying feeling, blurred vision, and complaints of my fellow crewmembers, one clear thought ran through my head: _Will._

He had been the one assigned to take care of that mast tackle. If it hadn't been properly handled the cannon would fall. Seeing as it did, I instantly assumed the worst. The command of "Haul that weevil to his feet." only proved my darkest fears. That voice belonged to Jimmy Legs, the Bo'sun.

I was on my feet and forcing my way through a gathering crowd of crewmen in a heartbeat. I pushed and shoved my way to the front, much to the displeasure of those standing in my way. My mind raced, my heart pounded. The urge to reach the front as quickly as possible was the only thing I was able to process. Worry for Will consumed me, making anything else in the world seem futile.

With one final shove I was able to squeeze myself between two men and reach my destination. What lied before me only made my blood turn cold. Two crewmen forced Will up against the rigging. His hands each held onto a knot in desperation, but he kept his face as stoic as possible. It didn't even change when he noticed my presence.

"We warned you before, Turner." Guilt made an unfavorable descent into the pit of my stomach as Jimmy Legs spoke. He menacingly raised the whip in his hand, "Five lashes will remind _you_ to stay on 'em!"

I launched forward in an attempt to stay his hand crying, "No!" However, I wasn't the only one to offer a complaint. A crewmember I had never seen before mirrored my words. He had long, stringy hair spewing out from a bandana and a dulled starfish attached to the right side of his face. I paused with shock upon seeing him, but this man followed through with our joint thought. He aggressively grabbed hold of the Jimmy Legs's wrist and heavily glared into his fish-like eyes.

"Impeding me in my duties?" The Bo'sun slowly threatened. The starfish man didn't even flinch away. "You'll share the punishment."

"I'll take it all!" I stumbled back slightly from this man's offer. _What? _What would drive this stranger to offer such a graciously absurd statement? I was glad yet disturbed by it.

I wasn't alone in my curiosity either. Sharp footsteps pounded from behind. I didn't even have to look back to know Davy Jones was now approaching. "Will you, now?" He brushed pass me, and I realized then that I hadn't even noticed when the organ stopped playing. "And what would prompt such an act of charity?"

There was a slight pause as man stared at his captain. A wave lightly hit my face, but I remained still. My eyes darted between the two men and Will, wondering just what his fate would be.

"My son…" The man mumbled. My eyes widened when Will sought my gaze. In unison we turned to this stranger. "He's my son."

"It can't be…" I whispered into the wind as presumably father and son made eye contact. Almost in a daze, I moved to stand beside this stranger and analyze his facial structure. What stood out the most was his nose. The curvature matched Will's perfectly. But his eyes were not to be forgotten. Each set looked honest, making any who truly looked feel secure when around them.

Jones's malicious laugh broke the silence and my further investigation. "What for_tu_itous circumstance be this? _Five lashes be owed_, I believe it is." He was handed the whip, but rather than release its wrath, he held it to Will's father. His tentacle of a hand curled around the handle.

"No." Will's father shook his head away, "No, I won't!"

"That _cat's_ out of the _bag_, Mr. Turner!" Jones sarcastically scoffed before laughing at the two men.

_This can't still be happening, _I thought as I took in the pressuring scene, _not like this._

Without even thinking I took a step to stand between the whip and Will's speechless father. I clutched the weapon in an attempt to lower it. "Captain Jones, please cast this way. He doesn't deserve to feel its sting. When his warning was issued the other day, he was only trying to-"

The whip was suddenly snatched from my grasp and thrust into my stomach before I even finished my explanation. I doubled over, coughing from the air unintentionally released. This position only lasted a few seconds though because someone pulled my hair so aggressively that my head was forced back up. They then let go, but that couldn't prevent the cold eyes of Davy Jones from fiercely staring at me.

"You asked to be here, _girl_, and I expect you to recognize the authority upon this vessel! Do not impugn my actions, or you will end up just the same."

"But Will doesn't deserve any of this!" I struggled to say over a clap of thunder. "Yesterday when-"

"_That doesn't account for today!_" He bellowed directly in my face. I cringed from him, which only allowed for a sinister smile to stretch across his face. After that he didn't give me a second thought. He turned back to Will's father with the whip outstretched once more, "Your issue will feel its _sting_, be it by the Bo'sun's hand or your own."

Will's father feverishly darted his eyes between Jones, Will, and myself. "No."

"Bo'sun!"

"No!" He quickly snatched the whip from Jones before Jimmy Legs had a chance to grab it. He shuffled it in his hands as though debating what to do next.

I squeezed my eyes shut. _This isn't happening. This isn't happening! _But when I opened them again, nothing had changed. My heart thudded in my ears louder than any other sound. I half expected some sort of miracle to happen, but just the opposite did. With a piercing flash of lightning, the men holding Will removed his vest and tore his shirt off, exposing bare back. There was nothing to block the whip now.

"No!" I screamed as I charged into the scene. Jones was quick to end my crusade by shooting his arm out. I fought back, punching his tentacle arm and attempting to duck underneath it.

"Restrain her!" He commanded. It was quickly followed too. A new hand wrapped around my waist, forcing me back to my original position. I screamed and thrashed about—trying to escape—but this only prompted two more men to take hold of my fists. With my hands restrained, I resorted to kicking. But this did little.

There was nothing I could do.

I looked between Will, his father, and Jones, trying to see if maybe there was something that could still be done. Will's father seemed to do the same, but we realized together there was simply nothing. He turned to me one final time, an almost apologetic tone covering his appearance, before raising the whip high into the air. I quickly looked away.

_One_. I heard the sharp whistle as it made contact with Will's skin. A new roll of thunder covered up any moans he may have expressed, yet still I cringed.

_Two_. The snap of the whip had barely finished when something grabbed hold of my chin and forced me to look up. My eyes darted to the face of my perpetrator, only to be disgusted by the smile dancing upon his lips. Davy Jones's sinister expression terrorized me, but I was more afraid of what lied beyond him. And he knew it. He leaned in closer until his lips were beside my ear, "You _will_ watch this and know what becomes of those who cross me."

_Three_. Although I squarely faced Will, my eyes looked elsewhere. They rested on his father, who was visibly in far more pain than I.

_Four_. This time there was nothing to cover Will's grimace. I wanted to look away, to press my hands against my ears, but the restraints prevented even my strongest attempt.

_Five_. Five winces, cringes, twitches, whips, cries, snaps, grunts, smiles, grimaces, chortles, burdens, useless fights later and it was finished. Will's sentence was finally over.

The men holding him forcefully dragged him away from the rigging and towards a set of stairs; they went right between me and his father too. Jones especially looked upon us as this course was taken, but I remained still. I felt empty. No emotion could sway me. Will looked broken. And if he was broken, then so was I.

It wasn't until he was literally tossed down the stairs that I was finally released and so broke free of my trance. I immediately took off after Will. The guilt may be eating me up inside, but I was not the one physically scarred. I had to appear strong, or at least stable, for both our sakes.

"You had it easy, boy!" Jimmy Legs laughed down just as I reached the stairs. Except I could go no further since Will's father completely blocked my path.

Will used the wooden rods of the steps for support to pull himself up. It was then that I finally noticed the amount of blood pouring down his back. The sight was enough to make my heart stop. I was actually thankful when Will's father reached for his son and so blocked my face. It gave me a moment to compose myself. "Will…"

"I don't need your help!" Will shouted as he pushed away from his father. I felt bad for Will's father, but understood Will's own aggression. If my father were to rise from the dead, I'd do just the same.

Taking a deep breath to further calm myself, I leapt around Will's father to be by his son's side. "Will, are you all right?" _Well of course he's not, _I thought as soon as I softly questioned him. Nonetheless, I cupped his face between my hands and gazed at him. He jerked his head back but accepted my help, unlike what he did with his own father. His eyes would not meet mine though. I bit my lip, that remorseful feeling rising again. "I'm sorry… I didn't know something like this would happen."

"It's not your fault." Will bitterly replied before glaring back at his father.

The man sighed, "The Bo'sun prides himself on cleaving flesh from bone, with every swing." He made his way next to us as he spoke. When he finally stood beside us, he flung Will's vest down on a nearby rope.

The two men stared at one another, but it was evident Will was becoming angrier the longer he looked upon his father. "So I'm to understand what _you_ did was an act of compassion?"

I was still a bit uneasy with Will's father, but the expression he now wore almost made those feelings slip away. "…Yes."

Again they stared at one another, except this time even I felt uncomfortable. Will was trying to understand everything while his father looked ashamed for upsetting his son. Needless to say, I was very much left out. Granted this was their family troubles, but I simply felt discomfited silently standing there. Will seemed to be lost within his own mind, so I decided to take my own initiative and tone down the dramatics of this storm.

"Bootstrap Bill Turner, is it?" He turned to me with confusion written all over his face. "I remember hearing your name before. Unless of course that is not it…?"

"No." Bootstrap shook his head clear and almost smiled back at me. "No, it is. I've just never seen you here before."

"I'm Evelyn Pierce. I came over with your son not too long ago."

"Ah! The young lovers." I blinked several times at Bootstrap's response until it dawned on me that Will and I were supposed to be engaged. We exchanged very quick glances, although Will still seemed to be puzzling over something. So I turned back to Bootstrap, apparently hadn't notice what had just happened. "I heard about you two coming aboard, although I never imagined it would be my own son!"

"I find it hard to believe too…" I replied with a sheepish smile. Bootstrap may be Will's father, but now especially is not the proper time to inform him that Will's true fiancé is currently locked up in Port Royal. I'd just have to play along for now. Perhaps in a more private setting Will and I could break the news to him.

"Did you know," Bootstrap continued with a much lowered voice, "that Jones made the entire crew swear not to make any major advances on you unless you stepped out of line? I suppose that would be your rightful punishment… It's completely unlike Jones though. Never thought he'd have a soft spot for something such as young love, especially with his past."

_Well that certainly explains a lot._ Memories of the crew's awaiting eyes filled my mind, forcing a shiver to trickle through me.

Before I could speak with Bootstrap any further, Will cut in. "Then I guess I am my father's son." His voice was raggedy, and his statement out of context. Bootstrap and I looked at him with matching furrowed brows. _Will truly had been lost in his thoughts._ "I mean by using brutality as a means of compassion. For nearly a year now, I've been telling myself I killed you to save you."

Will briefly looked to his father before walking ahead. I lightly touched his arm, but he merely shook my hand off. "I lifted the curse you were under, knowing it would mean your death. But at least you would no longer suffer the fate handed to you by Barbossa."

"Don't place this burden upon yourself." I pleaded as I crossed before him. He clutched onto the rope beside him and I slid my hand just underneath. "Barbossa and his crew had to be stopped before they captured the entire Caribbean. No offense to you, Bootstrap." I turned towards him, but he only dazedly stared back.

"Who… who's Barbossa?"

I tilted my head as Will spun around. His voice was stern when he next spoke, "Barbossa. The man who condemned you to a life at the bottom of the ocean."

"Those who've done things to you, you tend to forget." Bootstrap shrugged before moving below an overhang. Will and I quickly followed, but not before Will had grabbed his vest and began to put it on. Although the marks in his back were now hidden, I still sensed them. They called to me as an annoying memory tugs at the mind.

I needed a distraction from it, and the best distraction would be that of any stories Bootstrap had to offer. "Then how is it you are still alive?"

"Life?" he laughed. "It's the gift and the lie given by Jones. You make the deal, join the crew. You think you're cheating the powers, but it's not reprobation you've found." Bootstrap paused his gate to offer a firm stare at the son beside him. "It's oblivion."

"Oblivion of what?" I timidly asked on the other side after Bootstrap had remained silent for some time.

"Yourself… you begin to forget." We continued walking, becoming closer and closer to the cannons on the left. "One hundred years before the mast, losing who you were, bit by bit, until you end up…" He paused again to point at something beside me. "End up like poor Wyvern here."

I spun my head around and was greeted by a human-like sea creature embedded into the wall of the ship. He lied as flat as he possibly could against the ship, except for his arm which jutted out in order to hold a lamp. The coloring of the figure, Wyvern, and the ship blended together as one. If Bootstrap hadn't pointed him out, I never would have noticed him.

"Once you've sword an oath to the _Dutchman_, there's no leaving it." Bootstrap hurriedly said with a rather repentant face. "Not until your debt is paid."

"I've sword no oath." Will replied with a shake of his head. His father's face brightened slightly before he even turned to face me expectedly.

I slowly shook my head, "I merely vowed to follow Will."

A spark flared within Bootstrap's eyes despite his face taking on a more serious tone. He leaned in closer to us. "Then you both must get away," he whispered.

"We can't." Will replied, greatly shocking his father. Knowing exactly where this was going, I retrieved the key drawing from my person and gave it to Will before he even got the chance to ask me of it. He quickly unrolled the parchment to show Bootstrap his reasoning's. "Not until we find this… the key."

"We were set out to-" I began before being cut off by the chipping of something from behind. With curiosity taking the best of me, I left my sentence hanging and turned back around. When I saw Wyvern placed right before me with his eyes now wide open, I stumbled back and instinctively latched onto Will's arm. Once the initial scare had passed, I stared back at the now alive figure with a more cordial mindset. "Um… hello there."

He didn't pay any to what I said. His eyes only sought the drawing in Will's hands. "The dead man's chest."

Will pushed me back towards his father so he could more formally address Wyvern. "What do you know of this?"

"Open the chest with the key, and stab the heart…" Wyvern informed. From my perspective, it all appeared rather simple. It wasn't until he spun back around that things began to get confusing. "No-no-no-no, _don't stab the heart_! The _Dutchman _needs a living heart or there'll be no captain, and if there's no captain, there's no one to have the key."

"I'm sorry, but you're not making very much sense." I commented after a short pause.

"There must be a key for the captain, or else there will be no heart for the captain to have when crewing the _Dutchman_."

Wyvern may have meant well with is information, but it was all very much jumbled. He had basically said his previous sentence in reverse order, and that made even less sense. I didn't even know how I was to response. Fortunately Will grasped some portion of the verbiage. "So the captain has the key…" Wyvern shamefully looked away. This only irritated Will. "Where is the key?"

"Hidden." Wyvern retracted back to the wall.

"Where is the chest?"

"Hidden." His eyes and mouth then snapped shut. He was no further use to us.

Will bitterly shoved the parchment back at me, but said nothing. He was frustrated, I understood that, but there was no reason to be so forward about it. I glared at him as I tucked the drawing back into its usual hiding spot, "I understand this day has made you tense, but you really should control your temper."

"Do you not understand how close we were, Evelyn?" He harshly whispered. I was about to answer him, but he continued on with his rant. "We have been given clues, _pieces _of them if anything, nothing solid. What are we supposed to now? Wait for this key to conveniently roll across the floor?"

"Oh, don't be so foolish. Wyvern has given us plenty to go off of!" I tried to defend the poor soul, but Will wasn't too keen about that. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, as if daring me to explain myself. I sighed, "Fine, perhaps nothing too drastic was given to us. But we know more than we did before! I couldn't quite comprehend what he meant by hearts, chests, the _Dutchman_, and captains with keys, but that is something. Yes?"

"And son, you did make the suggestion of the captain having the key," Bootstrap offered from behind me. "Davy Jones may be forward and sinister, but he's also quite private. He spends a fair amount of time locked away in his cabin, playing that organ of his. I don't know for certain whether he has the key on him, but it is worth a thought."

"And a plan… We must figure out _how_ to test this." Will replied with a much lighter air. We exchanged smiles. _A plan! We finally have something to build off of!_

A few minutes of silent accomplishment filled us. The only interruption was when Bootstrap spoke up with fatherly concern, "The pair of you haven't been called upon anymore. It would be wise to take up what rest you can. Especially you, Will. Those wounds have a less chance of healing while you move about."

I cast my eyes downward as that guilty feeling rose inside me again. It simply would not go away! At this rate it was going to haunt me forever.

Will and I exchanged our farewells to Bootstrap and were about to head for our room when a sudden call rang through the dwindling storm, "Pierce! Get up here, you mangy cur!" I twitched from the abruptness of my name and the description following. Even after spending who knows how long aboard many different pirate ships, I was still not used to hearing such profound words.

"Evelyn, you don't have to go. I could-" Will started, but this time it was _my _turn to do the cutting off.

"Absolutely not!" I half laughed through my stern protest. "You've helped me upon many occasions this day and were then injured. There is no way you are going back out there." He appeared unconvinced. "Nothing you say will change my mind. Besides, I was going to find something to fix that ripped shirt of yours anyway. Unless your father knows where a spare may be…?"

I looked back to him, but he sadly shook his head. "There is no spare clothing aboard the _Dutchman_. I do know where some spare supplies are though. No one will notice if we take a few things from the crate."

"See?" I smiled. "There's no reason for you to be here. Now go get some rest."

Will still appeared uncertain. He eyed me, and I sensed the worry behind them. A sigh from Bootstrap suggested he did too, "Don't you worry, William. I'll keep my eyes on her."

After a few seconds of debating this, Will turned to Bootstrap with a slight smirk. "Thank you… father." He then turned around before his mind could be changed.

I shook my head as soon as he was out of sight, "I'm sorry about that. He can be a bit stubborn at times."

Bootstrap looked down at me with a smile pulling on the corners of his mouth. It was the first time I had seen him grin. "Just like his father."

~.~.~.~.

Create barrels. That's all they wanted me to do. The big reason behind Will, once again, fussing over my safety. I couldn't decide which was more annoying: being summoned for a menial task—which could have waited until after I had slept some—or this repetitive concern from Will. I had to give him some credit though. He had toned his outward worrying down greatly, although the emotion was still there. His own father even sensed it!

Some good had come out of my pointless task though. Once I finished crafting some barrels, Bootstrap and I were somehow able to find a needle buried at the bottom of a crate of rope. We thought it had probably fallen in there by mistake. Either way, it was a needle. Sadly, we couldn't find any sort of thread. So instead I took a piece of rope. It could work as thread once I peeled back the individual strings. Although it may be stiff, off colored, bulky, and possibly scratchy, it was better than nothing. Besides, my sewing ability wasn't the greatest in the world. I had barely passed under my mother's standards back in England. Oh how I did _not _miss her.

Bootstrap then accompanied me back to the room Will and I shared. He mentioned how he passed by that door several times during his watch duties, always wondering who the new coupled crewmembers lucky enough to possess a more private room were but never bothering to find out. Seeing as it turned out to be his very son with his "fiancé," we shared a nice laugh, although mine was a bit uneasy.

We went our separate ways once we reached the door. Bootstrap departed back the way we came while I turned the doorknob and entered. "Will, you won't believe how fortunate your father and I were at gathering the needed supplies!" I cried as I locked the door. I figured he wouldn't rest until I was safely in the room for the night—or whatever time it actually was. "We were even able to… to…"

I hadn't exactly looked into the room upon entering it. So when I did finally seek out Will, I wasn't exactly expecting him to be standing shirtless near the now full water basin. He was obviously attempting to clean the blood off his back. Still, I became a bit flustered, especially so when he turned around and I spotted the necklace I made him still draped around his neck. My cheeks, I imagine, were bright red.

I shook myself off with a cough and was quick to look elsewhere to better focus my mind. "We were even able to find passable thread."

"Is this good then?"

"Yes, very much so." I basically wanted to smash my head against a wall after saying that. _Well that sounded completely wrong, now didn't it? _"That is… I mean… it will make sewing the shirt simpler." _That didn't make things any better! Perhaps I'm just overthinking this…_

"Then I congratulate you!" I heard Will laugh. In order to appear more of myself, I joined in. Except my laughter didn't sound normal at all. At least Will hadn't seemed to pick up on that.

I snuck a small glance at him. He had returned to washing his back with a very dirty cloth, but was failing miserably at it. I sighed, _All right, Evelyn. The initial shock is over. It's time to move on. He needs help. So just breathe and return to your normal self._

Following the direct orders of my conscience, I turned back to Will _without _becoming rattled and embarrassed. "You do realize you're completely missing the gashes, right?"

He looked at me over his shoulder, "It's a bit difficult when I can't see anything."

"Then allow me to help you out," I said with a genial smile.

Will offered his thanks, and then I set to work. We discovered the most convenient way for this to be accomplished was by him lying flat on his stomach across the bed. So I offered him the pillow, moved the rickety desk to the other side of the bed, and began washing away the blood. It was disgusting and I can honestly say I had no idea what I was doing. Never before had I taken care of injuries, although I chose not to tell Will that. So every time he unsuccessfully hid a wince, a whole new wave of remorse washed over me. By the time I was finished, I had entered a state of depression.

"You may want to sleep like that so the wounds can air out," I silently suggested, praying this was the proper action. Will agreed without any further explanation.

Silently, I made my way to the other side of the bed. Along the way, I grabbed Will's broken shirt and my gathered supplies. He needed this patched up by tomorrow, and perhaps the sewing would be a distraction from my ever-growing gloomy mind.

As soon as I sat on my side of the bed, Will offered me the pillow. He claimed we had been keeping a pattern so far and now it was my turn. I offered a protest with a simple shake of my head, too afraid that my voice would choke and so betray me. I motioned to the shirt, too, so he would further understand. He did, although it was not without complaints I cared not to answer for. Sleep enveloped him shortly after.

Then I sewed. Medium-to-large sized stitches spanning across the entire seam. I paused every once in a while to peel back a new string from the small rope I required, and each time I became distracted. The injuries Will received were right beside me, staring me directly in the face. They were awfully intimidating. The opened wounds were there as I sewed, as I peeled new string, as I tied knots, as I did everything; a constant reminder of what I had done.

It was my fault those barrels fell the other day. _My fault_ for agreeing to Will's plan. _My fault_ he received those warnings. _My fault_ he had been whipped this very day.

All of it was because of me. No matter what anyone may say, the blame was mine.

By the time I finished the shirt, my hands were shaking. Will was asleep and I had finished my only distraction. I was losing it. The hurt I kept bottled up inside all day was now overflowing.

Will's shirt fluttered from my hands to my lap, only to be drawn in again when I hugged my knees to my chest. My elbows rested there while my fingers dug into my hair. "It's all my fault," I whispered with a choke. I began to rock; lightly so as not to disturb Will, but rocking all the same.

Then I looked at him.

I've always hated crying, and despised whenever pressure, such as yesterday, caused such a reaction from me. But as I gazed at the gashes carved into Will's back, I could no longer contain myself. I permitted my eyes to release the tears I'd been holding back. "I'm sorry, Will. I'm so sorry."


	15. Liar's Dice: A Game of Deception

**Heh. My whole Author's Challenge wasn't as successful as my other story. So just scrap it, haha! At any rate, guess who is another year older than when they lasted posted in this story? THIS AUTHOR HERE! :D Yep. My birthday passed on October 14****th****. Pretty nifty, huh? But then I realized I need to post more. I really do. So I started a system. It's working well so far, but do realize that at this moment I have THREE stories I'm updating. Crazy and busy, yet wonderful all the same.**

Ariah23: _Really?! I've never made someone cry before, or at least no one has admitted it. Ironically, I smiled. And then the rest of your review just kept that smile planted on my face for the remainder of the day. Thank you so much!_

Bonniebeast:_ You always make me laugh! xD I love your reviews._

RenegadeVampireGirl:_ Ditto! We need to give Evelyn a hug pronto. By the way, I loved your little flail at the end._

Ruby:_ So I listened to one of their songs ("Memories"), and was immediately hooked because of the violin at the beginning! I'll have to look into them more. My own favorite band is Imagine Dragons… not that I'm promoting them or anything. Teehee ;)_

**Happy Reading, especially since there's another deleted scene woven into this long chapter! A much more epic Liar's Dice game if you ask me. I love you all! Happy Halloween!**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

I awoke the following morning on my side with my knees still clasped to my chest. Will's newly sewn shirt delicately lied across half my face. Brushing off the fabric, I glanced around. Once I spotted the dissembled rope on the floor, images of the previous day came flooding back. As did the emotions of it all.

Sleeping had greatly settled my mind, so I dared not return to my darkened thoughts. I wanted to stay in my current freely blank state of mind for as long as possible. However, things aboard the _Dutchman _never turn out the way they are wanted. So I dragged myself into a seated position. My locked bones cracked as I stretched, but the ache of it was nothing compared to what my hands had to say. They were _burning _with pain.

I quickly analyzed the palms of my hands through the relative darkness of the room. They were dry and thick, which only made them feel stiffer in my mind. It was then I remembered the callouses. All the unexpected labor of rope pulling, barrel crafting, and shirt stitching had formed a rather uncomfortable shell upon my skin. And the longer I stared at my hands, the more irritatingly itchy they became.

Obviously I scratched them. I just didn't noticed how roughly my nails dug into my skin until the bed began to lightly shake and something stirred beside me. I turned towards it, only to become face-to-face with Will. Since the bed barely fit the two of us to begin with, only a few centimeters separated us. This sudden closeness surprised me, especially since I was the one holding his shirt. With a yelp, I jumped back. Except there was nothing to jump back _to_ and I ended up falling off the bed. The shirt tumbled after me. And apparently it saw my face as the perfect landing spot.

"Evelyn?" I heard Will question, "Are you all right?"

"Never better!" I happily chirped for some strange reason. I suppose I wanted to prove to both myself and Will that all my worries had washed away. Either way, I removed the troublesome material from my face and smiled up at him. The sight of him looking down at me from the bed only stirred those unnerved feelings from before. I felt my cheeks growing hot, so I quickly blocked my face with the shirt. "Look, I finished patching up your shirt! Just as I promised," I added with a nervous laugh.

_Pull yourself together! _I mentally shouted at my released emotions as I stood.

Will eyed me skeptically before taking the shirt and putting it on. And my stitching held! It blocked out his disgusting back wounds and his more… distracting chest. It was silly to become so captivated by something such as a bare torso, yet here I was having to take several deep breaths just to calm myself down.

I felt foolish.

_Very_ foolish.

"Did I miss someone calling for us?" Will asked, his voice pulling me from my deranged thoughts. When I looked to him, he was already standing with his vest nearly buttoned.

I hadn't even noticed him stand…

"No," I shook my head mainly to clear my thoughts, "No. No one has come for us, strangely enough. I awoke on my own. I unintentionally fell asleep in an uncomfortable position, and I guess the ache finally caught up with me. I'm terribly sorry for waking you." I paused to take note of the disheveled bed, "And for practically screaming in your face."

He briefly smirked. That smile alone assured me he was quite alright with all I'd done this morning, as always. He then frowned, "I don't understand why they haven't come."

"Me either! Perhaps we should find Bootstrap," I quickly said before heading for the door. The quicker we left this room, the better. I was still finding it rather hard to focus and thought perhaps a more open space would help.

However, Will saw things differently. He grabbed my shoulder and gently spun me back around to face him. "Evelyn, are you sure everything is fine? You seem a bit sidetracked this morning."

"I was," I admitted while cursing myself for acting noticeable, "but I should be fine now that everything is covered up." _That's not what I meant. _"I mean put away…" _Why are my words coming out like this? _"Or…" _Flustered! I'm sounding flustered again! _"Sorted! My thoughts have been sorted." _No they haven't…_

"Really? Because you still-"

"Positive!" I jumped in with a wide grin. Before he could say anything else I back from his grasp and pointed to the door, "Let's just leave. Your father is probably worried, and he'll be able to explain this sudden absence of duty to us."

Will hesitated a few moments more, until he realized that I was either truly all right or never going to tell him what was on my mind. It didn't matter what conclusion he arrived at. What did matter was that he'd finally accepted something, sighed, and proceeded to walk pass me in order to open the door. As soon as the lock was removed and I followed Will over the threshold, Bootstrap was at our side. It was astonishing how he got there so quickly.

"Ah, you made it!" he cheerfully exclaimed and clapped his hands around Will's shoulders. "I was beginning to wonder if you two would ever come out."

I blankly stared at him as Will mildly shrugged Bootstrap away from him. His father only appeared slightly affected from the tense gesture. "What time is it?" I asked to better distract Bootstrap's mind.

"By now you should understand that's impossible to tell. We follow the darkness, never emerging into daylight unless absolutely necessary."

"Oh," I breathed as I took in the scene around me. It was as dark and gloomy as ever; still raining, but not nearly as severely as it once was. Actually, everything was quite calm. Even the faint organ music in the background was mild. What got me suspicious was the lack of crew. "We were not summoned this morning and no one seems to be going about their duties. Where is everyone?"

"That storm we encountered was the strongest the _Dutchman _has seen for a while. The Captain and First Mate decided to give us a day, with the exception of those on guard. This is my task, but my shift is almost done," Bootstrap shrugged. "So you two can do whatever you want today, though there isn't much to do aboard the ship other than partake in Liar's Dice."

Will and I looked to one another then back at Bootstrap. "Liar's Dice?" I spoke for us.

"Aye."

"I don't believe we've ever heard of such a game."

"Well it's always played on deck just down the stairs there," Bootstrap explained while pointing us in the right direction. "We normally stay in one area, so it's common for crewmembers to watch. I can join both of you once I'm relieved."

As Bootstrap spoke, something within Will's face changed. A mask of inquisitiveness befell him and he unexpectedly grabbed my hand. "We'll be waiting," he calmly called back as he led me forward.

I was taken aback by this sudden gesture, but didn't dare remove my hand. I liked the feeling, although my mind forced me to think otherwise.

Finding the boisterous crowd of sea creatures was rather easy once we descended the stairs. They were directly to the right, underneath the cover of the flooring above. Barnacles covered the entirety of the damp wood, and even on the faces of the crew. The whole thing gave me chills.

Will and I eased our way under the canopy enough for us to see the game but not be noticed. We kept to the shadows, although everyone was so focused on the game that even if we stood at the front I doubt anyone would have noticed us. In my opinion, the game wasn't even all that exciting, although that easily could have been because I didn't understand what was going on or care for those involved.

Crewmen in groups of three or four, sometimes even two, squatted on the floor. They were each given a tarnished cup that they would roll five dice in and eventually slam facedown onto the floor. Some sort of wager dealing with years was muttered, and then they all peeked at their dice and took turns firing off deranged guesses of numbers; something along the lines of "three fives" or "four twos." Then every once in a while someone would shout "liar" and everyone would lift the cups from their dice. Sometimes the one who shouted lost, and other times the one who previously guessed did. Or I assumed they lost based on reactions. Honestly I was just confused. Enchanted… but confused.

Will closely analyzed the game. His eyes danced across the players, cups, and visible die. The curious expression had yet to leave his face. Despite that, he still seemed to understand what was happening more than I. When I attempted to ask him what was going on, he merely grunted or responded with: "Yes, whatever you say." That didn't answer the question. At all. He was too lost in thought over the game to comprehend whatever I had to say.

So I reluctantly turned to the crew for help. At first I was ignored. They were either as entranced as Will or simply refused to acknowledge me. After a while, though, those closest to me became tired of my enquiring and instead decided to shush me rather than explain.

_Men and their silly games, _I glowered as I returned to staring ahead with confusion.

Two more rounds of Liar's Dice passed before Bootstrap finally approached from behind. Three crewmembers were in the midst of wagering when his voice suddenly flowed over my right shoulder, "Wondering how it's played?"

"Greatly, yet no one feels the need to _explain_ things," I grumbled before crossing my arms and shooting a glare at Will. He made small eye contact with me, but returned his vision back to the game.

"I understand," Will revealed. I cast him another look, but he remained unfazed. "It's a game of deception. But your bet includes all the dice, not just your own."

Everything I'd been observing suddenly clicked. The dice, the guesses, and the proclamation of "liar" sporadically shouted out. Although the functions of the game were still slightly puzzling to me, at least I understood _some_ of what was happening.

"What are they wagering?" Will then asked his father.

"Oh, the only thing we have… Years of service."

"What happens when those run out?" I asked, turning to face Bootstrap.

"That's difficult to say," he admitted, shuffling his head from side-to-side. "I assume they jump ship as soon as possible, but I've never seen anyone ever leave their service."

I inclined my head, "Really? Not even those you know have been aboard for close to one hundred years?"

"You see, Evelyn," he sighed, "this game holds the fate of us all. If we become too hasty, which everyone aboard this vessel has, then we add to our debt with Jones. We remain onboard far longer than what was promised, and all because we gambled! The longer we stay on the _Flying Dutchman_, the more we become a part of it. Our souls are lost to Jones forever and we lose all our humanity."

"Just like Wyvern…" I trailed off as memories of the statuesque figure replayed in my mind.

"Precisely," Bootstrap nodded. We both turned our attention back to the game where Maccus appeared to have lost the round. "Everyone is eligible to play… even the First Mate."

Will's head suddenly snapped back to his father. "So any crew member can be challenged?"

"Aye. Anyone."

Will looked to the beams above us. His eyes darted everywhere, focusing on nothing in particular. The only time Will ever makes that expression was when he's forming some sort of plan. Based on the conversations we just had, I didn't like where this was going.

I became especially skeptical when he turned to me, "Evelyn, give me the drawing."

"… Why?" Although I questioned Will's motives, I slowly took the parchment out. He tried to take it the moment I pulled it out, but I withheld it from him. We fiercely locked eyes, saying nothing. When Will attempted to grab the drawing again, I flinched it away. "_Why?_"

"_Because…_" he growled before straightening himself up and taking a deeper breath, "I challenge Davy Jones."

Everything stopped. The crewmen muted their chortles, the rain seemed to silence itself, and even the pipe organ blasting in the background halted. I became numb. My heartbeat slowed and the air traveling to my lungs wouldn't function correctly anymore. I gaped at him. I literally gaped with a parted mouth and everything.

I couldn't breathe. "Will, what are you _doing_?"

Rather than grace me with an answer, Will decided to snatch the parchment away from me. I attempted to retake it, but my shocked state of mind was far too slow and I gave up. I shared a look with Bootstrap, mentally begging him to put his son back into place, but he seemed to be in the same daze I was.

Then we heard a footstep. Not just any footstep, but the _thump _of one belonging to a peg-legged man… _Davy Jones_.

The footsteps slowly traveled towards the set of stairs that lead to the Liar's Dice area. With each creak of the floorboard, the surrounding barnacles retracted into themselves. Apprehension built inside me until I impulsively grasped Will's hand. Now it was his turn not to move away from the gesture.

One by one the cursed sea-crew began their taunting laughter while I kept my eyes well trained on those footsteps. The chortles only raised the intensity. So when Davy Jones finally appeared on the stairs, I was at the brink of anxiety.

"I accept, mate," the Captain said with a flash of thunder and lightning alighting the sky behind him.

There was a tense silence as Will and Jones stared at one another. My own eyes never left Jones. It was only when I felt a squeeze given to my hand that my gaze shifted to Will. I couldn't tell whether he tightly held my hand to calm me or because he finally understood the circumstance he placed himself in. As I debated, he smirked. It was very brief and possibly given just for my eyes, but the smirk had occurred. Strangely enough, I almost felt reassured by it.

_Do you know what you're doing? _I wanted to voice my thoughts, but the words simply wouldn't form. That, and Jones had issued a command, "Set the game up, boys."

Will was immediately forced away from me. Since we knew better than to object to Jones, our hands detached as soon as the crew hauled Will away. Two members led him to the opposite side of a table that had just been set up, and sat him down on a newly provided seat. Five dice and a dented clay cup were placed before him. He picked up a die and examined it, a rather calm expression attached to his features.

"I wager everything I own," he sternly said as Jones brushed pass me. The Captain didn't even bother to sit.

"I only bet on what's dearest to a man's heart. Else there is no way to tell if he's bluffing." As Jones spoke, dice were dropped into his tentacle hand. I stood back in the crowd of crewmen next to Bootstrap, my eyes wide. When _'dearest to a man's heart' _was mentioned, my stomach went tight with panic and Bootstrap glanced at me. _The engagement._

Jones, now sitting, continued to speak as a cup was placed on the table. "What a man is willing to risk or not to risk… that's a measure of his soul." The sound of each die individually slipping from his tentacle into the cup filled the pause following his statement.

Then Will spoke up again, the sternest I had ever heard him, "I wager a hundred years of service."

"No!" Bootstrap immediately voiced for the two of us. However, my initial concern quickly dissipated because I remembered that odd smirk Will gave me.

"Bootstrap, you must calm yourself," I confidently whispered. "Will wouldn't do something this foolish without thinking everything out first. You must have faith."

Except he definitely wasn't listening to me. I probably wouldn't listen to me.

"Against your freedom?" Jones mused to Will, who was now shaking his dice-filled cup.

"Against my father's freedom."

Seemingly everyone turned their attention to Bootstrap, although his face remained as worried as before. When Jones looked back and saw this, he exposed an evil sneer and began smoking his pipe. "Agreed."

And so the game began. In unison Jones and Will slammed their cups onto the tabletop and peeked at the die's fate. They analyzed their results in silence, but this was shortly broken when Will offered the first guess, "Two threes."

"You're a desperate man. What is the cause?" Jones laughed while pointing the tip of his pipe at Will. "It can only be a _woman_." The panic from his prior statement rushed back to me. I uncomfortably looked to Will, only to find him staring right back at me. "Three threes."

"A woman need not cause you to be desperate… if you choose the right woman." Although Will's attentions had gone back to the game, if he were to glance at me again, he'd only be greeted with a cold stare. Was he _trying _to get me involved? "Four threes."

"I remember now…" Jones reflected with a nod of his head. _Uh-oh. _"You're the one that hopes to get _married_. And your fiancée is aboard this very ship, is she not?"

Will didn't say anything. I didn't say anything. In all actuality, his fiancée was locked up in Port Royal, but we weren't about to inform the crew of that. Nor were we prepared to draw more attention towards ourselves. As usual though, Jones saw things differently, "Bring her forward!"

A strong hand pushed me and I stumbled to a stop on his left. Jones scrutinized me, so I tried my best to appear strong under his icy eyes. "You summoned me, Captain Jones."

"_You?_" he snorted. "Evelyn Pierce, was it? The one who so openly _volunteered_ to join my crew and lower Jack Sparrow's debt?"

"Yes, that is me, although I'm not here for Jack Sparrow's benefit." I briefly looked to Will.

"So it was for _his _then?" Jones nodded towards Will and laughed, which only prompted his crew to join him. "I should have known from your reaction to the whipping that he was your fiancé. But what are you to do when his fate is to be _married_ to this ship instead of you?"

"Nothing, because he won't be married to the _Flying Dutchman_," I confidently stated before taking a daring step forward. "He's going to win."

"And how are you so sure of this?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Not knowing how to respond, I backed away. There was no proof Will would win, just as there was no proof he would lose. I just believed in him, and I'm sure my faith would just be laughed at by Jones's confidence with himself.

Luckily Will had an answer for me, "Evelyn and I choose our own fate."

"Then it wouldn't be _fate_, would it?" Jones mocked both of us before replacing the pipe in his mouth and seeing to his dice. "Five threes."

Will didn't fire anything back right away. He was too busy analyzing everything: the dice, his father, Jones, and even me. The fire behind his eyes remained strong as he took everything in, "Five sixes."

Although I was a bit shaky on how the game was actually played, that prediction sounded bad. If all the dice were counted, the probability of at least five of them being a six seemed awfully low. Judging from the gasps and chortles being released, I assumed the crew agreed with me.

Jones himself was even laughing. "Liar!"

Both men removed their clay cups to reveal their dice. I leaned over the table to inspect them; almost falling over when I knew the outcome. "Five sixes…" I breathed. Then the reality hit me, "There are five sixes!" I smiled and rushed to Will with an embrace, despite the various onlookers. "Will, you've won!"

Shocked gasps resounded across the small space, only to be silenced by some sort of clicking noise. I slowly slid away from my embrace to stare at the source: Davy Jones tapping his pipe atop his claw. It was almost as if he were applauding. "Well done, Master Turner."

Without another word he rose from the table to leave, but Bootstrap was quick to approach him. "I'm free, Jones."

They held each other's gaze until Davy Jones was forced to accept the fact Bootstrap was now free. This couldn't be altered. So Jones turned back away and headed for the stairs. With each passing step, I felt lighter; happier. Bootstrap was free, Will beat Jones, and the tension was clear. There was no longer a reason for me to be upset with Will for taking the key drawing without any form of explanation.

_Wait… _The smile I was holding fell, _Why had Will asked for the parchment if he wasn't going to-_

"Another game?" Will's call for a second challenge left me cringing. I turned to him.

"Will, do _not _intimidate him," I harshly whispered. "This is _his _mystical ship. He's bound to it. There's a chance he can feel every creak it makes, and so knows all that happens aboard; even the dice under that cup. You were lucky enough to beat him the first time. Why push it?"

"Mistress Pierce is right," Jones said without glancing back. "You can't best the devil _twice_, son."

Will analyzed me; I sent him a warning glare, even though I knew just by looking at him that nothing was getting through. I became especially disheartened when he shifted his gaze back to Jones, "Then why are you walking away?"

Seeing as the Captain was never one to turn down such a challenge, he was quick to return to the table. I on the other hand retained my glare, "Even you know this is madness! Why are you enticing another challenge?"

"You know why," he quietly replied. Then he mimicked that smirk from before the first game. "Trust me."

"The stakes?" Jones asked, breaking into our little spat. When I looked back, I noticed Bootstrap was no longer in sight. I thought it was curious, but not nearly as interesting as the tension re-arising between Will and Davy Jones.

"My soul." Will stated, causing more gasps to sound off around him. I, however, remained silent. Rather than express my usual worry, pieces of Will's puzzle began to unfold in my head. Him taking out the drawing only clarified my mind. "An eternity of servitude."

"Make it _two _souls willing to serve," I added with a smirk. More than one stunned face was quickly cast my way. "My life is tied with Will's, I stay with him."

Jones snickered from across the table while Will, rather harshly, grabbed my arm. "Do _not _get involved."

Will didn't understand; I _had _to do this. The whole purpose of this round, I deciphered, was to prompt Jones to reveal the location of the key. What I didn't understand was why Will offered his entire life as a bet, but I trusted him. Besides, two souls would be far more tempting than one.

"Why not? You've already tossed me in." I felt my nose scrunch as I shoved away his hand. "I decoded your motives, and so decided to further my contribution. You won't have to worry about me playing though; I vaguely understand the game as it is."

"That's not the point. When I said you could figure this out I didn't intend for you to-"

"_Trust me,_" I mocked, cutting him off.

He opened his mouth to continue protesting, but Davy Jones already appeared to be intrigued by my idea and spoke first. "Remember what you said about _fate_, Master Turner? Your fiancée can do as she pleases." He bellowed with laugher and shook his head. "At least now you'll have some _company_."

"Providing Will with company was not my purpose, Captain Jones. There is something else Will and I wish of you."

"Eh?" Jones popped with raised brows and a small chuckle, but his attention quickly returned to the game. His eyes darted between Will and I, "…Against what, then?"

"What was it you said about that which is dearest to a man's heart?" Will, now calm, smugly said has he raised the parchment. "We want this."

He plopped the parchment onto the table with Jones keeping a glare well trained on him. Once the Captain snatched the paper and unfolded it on his claw, a uniform gasp echoed throughout the ship. Jones himself appeared perplexed, distraught, and angered all at once. "How do you know of the key?"

"That's not part of the game, is it?" Will practically smirked as he taunted Jones. We briefly glanced at one another before he sat back down and I stepped behind him. "You can still walk away."

"Although you'll be missing out on the dedication of two souls for all of eternity." I added, crossing my arms in the process. "What will it be, Captain Jones?"

He didn't need to be told twice, but rather retook his seat. As soon as Jones was comfortable, his tentacle beard reached within itself and protruded an old metallic key from under his left chin. Something stirred within me as I took note of the key's placing; a calling of some sort. For some unknown reason, I felt a connection with the key; as though the true purpose lying between it and myself had yet to be fulfilled. The mysterious wind that had suddenly stirred only added to its mystery.

"_What's _this_?_" Davy Jones spat, dragging my clouded thoughts back to the intense game. I had missed the moment the round actually started, so the cups and die were already on the table. However, there were _three _cups rather than two. When I followed the hand of who this third person was, I was not at all pleased.

"I'm in," Bootstrap stated, firmly looking to Jones. "Matching their wager."

"No!"

"An eternity of service to you." Bootstrap continued without even glancing at his son. I was too baffled by the scene to even do anything. "I bid three twos."

"_Don't _do this." Will warned just as he had me.

However, Bootstrap was more like me than what I thought. His eyes trickled to me before falling upon his son once more, "The die is cast."

Although I couldn't see Will's facial expression, his nearly dropping shoulders was enough for me to understand something was different. When I offered my wager, Will merely appeared worried as any normal person would be. But when his father joined in, Will acted disheartened. I understood Bootstrap was risking his life after having just been freed, but was there need for Will to act so distressed?

I suppose the technicalities didn't matter though. Bootstrap could not lose. That much was clear.

"It's your bid, Captain," Bootstrap said, facing Jones once more. This mere sentence was the starting point of a now stressful game of Liar's Dice.

The game continued in a circle, but my growing concern for Bootstrap only took them in flashes: "Four fours," Jones with a chuckle; "Four fives," Will after a pause; "Six threes," a mumbled Bootstrap.

Jones lifted his cup, paused to calculate the game, and twitched his face into a grin. "_Seven _fives."

That guess was bold. I knew it, the crew knew it, and Will did too. There was pressure within his next decision: predict a higher amount or call Jones's bluff.

There was a pause. A _long _pause. I chewed my lip with anticipation as I waited for Will's next move. When he lifted his cup to peek at his dice, I leaned over his shoulder to try and see. I was unable to glance at it though because a rather disturbing creature caught my shoulder and silently pulled me back.

Finally Will looked up from his dice. He gulped before responding, "Eight fives."

That got the crowd going, and my heart pumping. At least eight of the dice in play had to be a five, or else Will loses. He took an awfully large risk by adding to Jones's bid, and the Captain knew it too. He chuckled with his cruel eyes darting between Will and I, "_Welcome _to the _crew_, my happy couple."

More chortles flew across the room until, "Twelve fives." All eyes fell to Bootstrap. He shrugged, "Twelve fives… Call me a liar, or up the bid."

I could hardly grasp the situation Bootstrap placed himself in. Will's suddenly hanging head appeared to have the same reaction. Jones, however, took this as fuel to his already burning fire of hatred.

"And be called a liar _myself_ for my _trouble_?" He practically threw the cup off Bootstrap's dice. "_Bootstrap Bill_, you're a _liar_ and you will spend an _eternity_ on this ship." A snooty expression overtook Jones when he turned his attention to Will and stood. "Master Turner, feel free to go ashore with your _precious _fiancée, Mistress Pierce…" He snorted and turned to leave, but whipped right back around just to spit in our faces, "the very next time we _make port_!"

He laughed, the crew laughed, and then they exited. Every last one of the sea-creatured men followed after their Captain as fire does the devil. In a matter of seconds the only souls left were Bootstrap, Will, and I.

"_Fool,_" Will hissed. "Why did you do that?"

Bootstrap looked pathetic and beaten from the game's outcome and his son's displeasure. "I couldn't let you lose… not while you and Evelyn have a future still before you."

He briefly looked to me, making my heart stop. I wanted to spill the truth to him then and there. But I couldn't. Not when his entire future had diminished right in front of him. I took pity on Bootstrap. So rather than face him with my guilt, I turned to his son.

"Will," I sighed, crouching down beside him. Tentatively, I placed my hands over one of his. "Be nice to your father… At least he was trying to help. He may have made a poor choice when he chose to participate, but his sacrifice was to save us. So we wouldn't be condemned."

"No, don't you two understand?" Will was angry, that was evident from his tone and shifting glare. His hand clenched underneath mine, but he didn't remove it. "It was never about winning or losing."

"I understand your intentions perfectly fine, William Turner." I spoke with narrowed eyes before turning a much lighter gaze to Bootstrap. "Do you now understand our purpose?"

He slowly shook his head, "Purpose? No, I thought maybe-" His face transformed as something dawned upon him, "The key! … You just wanted to know where it was."

"Precisely. This was our underlying objective, although there's still one thing I'm unsure about." I turned back to Will. "What if you lost? Would we then be here for all eternity?"

He slowly shook his head, "No because we swore no oath. Remember? We have no debt with Jones… no promises we must keep."

"Even though we're technically here to fulfill a portion of Jack's debt?"

"That's Jack's problem, not ours," Will spat. I contemplated this for a while, nodding when I accepted Will's reasoning. In my mind, Jack probably deserved a few more days of Jones pursuing. After all, he was the one who got us wrapped up into this mess.

"Well," I replied at length, breaking the drawn-out pause that had descended amongst the three of us. I moved one of my hands from Will's to Bootstrap's, warmly squeezing their hands with a smirk. "I suppose we'll just have to get that key then."


	16. Key Holder

**I believe this is the shortest time span I've posted in a while? I guess that means the system is working! TAKE THAT PROCRASTINATION! And if you haven't noticed, the chapters have been more on the long side. That's probably going to happen for the remainder of the story. Just warning you in advance.**

Dalonega Noquisi: _Can I just take a moment to marvel at your word choice? Because I was left breathless._

Ruby: _My personal favorite of theirs is "Demons." Thanks for listening to them though, haha!_

**I have a feeling you all may like this chapter. Or at least, I really enjoyed writing it xD**

**Happy reading! And, if you feel like it, pop in a review.**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

We devised a plan: Bootstrap secures the deck and readies a longboat while Will and I enter the Captain's cabin, take the key, and depart from the _Dutchman _for good. Seeing as we were pressed for time, we intended on following through with the plan this very night! Although, leaving Bootstrap behind would be difficult. I was not ready for that moment, and I knew Will wasn't either. However, we couldn't afford to think like that. Securing the key was our top priority.

And so only a few hours after Liar's Dice, Will and I silently followed Bootstrap through the shadows of the ship. The majority of the crew was either sleeping or passed out, as Bootstrap predicted would happen after a day of dismissed duties. It was absurd, really, but nothing I hadn't already seen.

When Bootstrap led us up a small flight of steps, he motioned us to stop. I slid closer to Will, attempting to see more of what lied above. My motion was mistaken for nerves though, so Bootstrap crouched down closer to us. "I'm positive the only person stand on their feet besides us is the helmsman. No need to fret, Evelyn."

I opened my mouth to explain myself, but thought better of it and resealed my lips. The less noise we made the better.

"I'll take a quick look just in case…" He silently continued before poking his head through the hole. After briefly surveying the area, he emerged from the hatch. Will and I followed after Bootstrap for a few steps, just enough for us to see the moment when he relieved the crewman of his duties. Only my eyes peeked above the rim, while Will displayed the majority of his torso. It was he who then more clearly saw when the helmsman disappeared and Bootstrap motioned for us to go.

Will looked to me, and I imagined him questioning: _"Are you ready?"_

I responded with a solid nod, _"Let's get that key."_

He immediately grabbed my hand and we were off, snaking our way around dozing sea-creatured men. I held my breath the entire way to the Captain's cabin, fearing a simple intake of breath would stir those around me. The last thing I wanted to do was killed during the easy portion of our plan.

It was only when Will and I were safely inside the Captain's hall behind a closed door that I allowed myself to breath normally. Well for a short while, anyway. The door to Jones's quarters was only a few feet away, and once we were inside, my restrained breathing would probably pick up once more.

We made our way to the door with as much silence as we held on deck. When we stuffed ourselves into the doorframe, Will released my hand to turn the doorknob. With the softest push, the wooden frame slowly swung open. A small _creak _screeched from its hinges, and my ears certainly could have gone without hearing that. However, Will and I were inside the actual cabin of Davy Jones. The very room our foul Captain stored his sinister thoughts.

_Tomb _would probably be a more accurate word to describe the space. It was long, narrow, and very compacted—though not nearly as tight as the bedroom Will and I shared. The whole thing was very dim with the only source of light faintly emitting from a window on the other side of the room. All candles were out and wisps of smoke flew throughout the air. An assortment of pipes lined themselves along the walls, leading all the way up to a magnificent organ. A slouched Davy Jones sat before the keys.

Although the room may be considered beautiful to some eyes, to me it was discomfiting. I felt rather tense and out of place.

Just as I had, Will took a moment to survey the room. His analysis was far shorter than mine, so he was the first to take a cautious step forward. A groan immediately rang from the floorboards, and my hand was quick to respond. I latched onto Will's shoulder, preventing him from taking any more steps. When he looked back to me, I raised a brow and gestured to the floor. _"Mind your footing!"_

He nodded at my mental scolding before turning his attentions back to the task at hand. We had to time our footing carefully. Each natural creak of the ship had to almost perfectly match up with our steps.

"_This is going to be difficult." _I took a deep breath and advanced forward with Will in tow. Naturally, my weight shifted to my toes to better silence myself. Will, on the other hand, decided to maintain a normal walk with a much more vigilant gate.

The entire process of crossing the room was so slow that it seemed to take _hours_. Each meticulous step only added pressure to the already stressful situation. Beads of sweat easily formed along my forehead, while the sudden pounding of my brain told me my heart beat at half its normal rate. Somehow though, I was able to reach Jones's left side without making too much ruckus.

Will rounded to the other side and nodded at the slumped figure, _"Is he asleep?"_

I shrugged then turned my gaze to Jones. There was only one way to find out.

In unison we leaned toward the Captain. Will looked upon Jones's face while I brought my ear to his chest. His breathing was slow, far slower than mine, and his overactive tentacles didn't even twitch at my presence. I nodded up at Will. _"Yes, he is most definitely sleeping."_

Will's eyes darted across Jones's tentacles, disappointment clearly showing when he was unable to find what he searched for. He turned to me though; twisting his hand above Jones's chest as though he were unlocking a door, and shrugging. I assumed he meant: _"Do you remember where the key is?"_

_"Yes, it's right here," _I eagerly nodded while pointing to the left side of Jones's face. Will attempted a second search, but still being unable to detect anything, turned to me. I sighed and mouthed _"under"_ while pointing up the tips of the tentacles. This was my silent reply of: _"It's below his beard."_

Will's brows knitted together; he not at all happy with this new obstacle. He sternly stared at the beard for some time before his vision fell back to me. Even before our eyes connected I knew what he was thinking because the exact same thought plagued my mind: _"How are we going to get the key without waking Jones?"_

I honestly had no clue.

We couldn't just reach in and grab it without waking the Captain! His tentacles would easily detect the familiarity of a hand. No, something else had to be used to raise the tentacles out of the way. Something Will or I could easily hold that would be so foreign it simply wouldn't register as a disturbance.

I looked to the objects nearest to me, but the only thing I found was a small candlestick sitting on the edge of the organ. It wasn't exactly preferable, seeing as the wax could potentially slip off at any given moment, but it was acceptable. I wrapped my fingers around the slim metal base just as I noticed Will reach for something through the corners of my eyes. When I looked over at him, he was grasping both a quill pen and a stave; both of which were fare more sturdy than my simple candlestick.

He glanced at me before fully picking up the materials, _"Will these suffice?"_

When I nodded my consent and released my hold on the candlestick, Will turned to Jones. With the pen resting in his right hand, he inched his way closer to Jones's beard—more specifically the left tentacle dangling from near his upper lip. I instinctively bit my own lip, _"Be careful…"_

My silent warning went completely unnoticed as the tip of the pen made contact with the unctuous tentacle. The unexpected touch made Jones snort almost into consciousness! My eyes widened, half expecting his eyelids to fly open and catch Will and I in the act of stealing his key. But as the snorts rolled into snores, I knew we were safe. I breathed a sigh of relief, but covered my mouth just as quickly. I prayed Jones had heard nothing unusual.

Again, lucky for us, Jones remained asleep. Rather than sighing and risking our mission again, I relaxed my shoulders.

Once I was _positive _Jones was just as unconscious as he was before, I allowed my eyes to travel from his squid-like face to Will. The feather pen in his hand now had that blasted first tentacle wrapped around the tip, while the stave held the limp tentacle underneath the prior one. Will stared at me the entire time I analyzed the progress he'd made during my panic, as though he were impatiently trying to grab my attention. I dropped my hands and narrowed my eyes, _"What?"_

Brushing off my silent attitude, Will nodded towards the beard with eyes darting from it to me. "_Do you see the key?"_

_"Oh, sorry." _My face softened and I offered an apologetic smile before looking to the mess of tentacles. Almost instantly my eyes latched onto the metal object lying near Jones's face. I excitedly nodded, _"Yes! It's right inside! Just let me grab it…" _Very carefully I reached for the sacred key, but the tentacles were still very compacted. My hand ever-so-lightly grazed the tentacle curled around the pen, causing Jones to stir with a soft, incoherent mumble. I froze until his voice subsided then instantly pulled my hand back. _"I can't reach it! The tentacles need to be raised higher."_

Will visibly appeared confused and frustrated at the same time. I understood the uncertainty—how are we supposed to lift the tentacles when leaning them farther away will result in an elbow hitting the organ?—but the annoyed aspect was somewhat of a mystery to me. Both emotions were quickly wiped from his face, however, as he thought of what to do next.

I turned to my candlestick again, figuring I could help somehow, when something unexpected happened. Will took the stave in his left hand—which was dulled, molded over, and had been lying on the ship for who knows how long—and placed it promptly in his mouth. My hand froze in midair with my mouth instantly dropping.

When Will looked up to me, I cringed, _"Will! Take that vile thing out of your mouth! It's disgusting!"_

He carefully tilted his head back and forth and attempted a quick smile, _"Do we have any other choice?"_

_"Yes!" _I mentally derided by raising my hands and motioning back to the candlestick. For a brief moment Will appeared defeated for having not noticed the object before, but then he shrugged and began reaching for the key from the safer tentacle distance. I rolled my eyes, scoffing at his new crusade to get the key by himself, before reaching for the pen. _"Here, let me help. Then at least you can remove that disgusting thing from your mouth."_

I have no idea what Will thought I was doing with my hand, but the moment I grasped the pen, he jerked it away. With such an abrupt movement, the tentacle slid right off the white feather and onto the sullied organ. The unforgettable notes of D, E , and E rang throughout the room.

Will looked at me. I looked at Will. Distress was visible on both our faces.

We were now in quite the predicament. My entire body was basically draped across Jones's lap with my hand wrapped around the quill pen. Will lied right beside Jones, the tentacle-wrapped stave still protruding from his mouth, while one hand grasped the feather and the other held tightly to the key. And, making matters worse, Jones was beginning to snort himself awake.

Will winced away while I dropped the pen and quickly backed away, raising my hands in defense. My hip roughly knocked against the side of the organ as I launched away from the scene. Except, it wasn't wood or organ keys I felt imprinting itself into my side, but rather something small and relatively pointy. I allowed myself a quick glance before facing Jones again, discovering the object to be an open locket.

As the eyes of Davy Jones fluttered open, the locket I stirred began to play a simple melody. It was soft and reminded me of the lullaby's mothers sang to their children. This calming sound resounded off the walls, filling our ears with a relaxing tune. More importantly, though, it took Jones's attention. He gazed at the locket for only a few seconds before drooping his head once more and nodding back to sleep.

I almost fell from the close call for it was far too close for comfort. Will seemed to have a similar thought because when I looked to him, his head was hanging with relief. When he raised his head seconds later, I greeted him with an elated smile while the palms of my hands rested on the side my forehead, _"I cannot believe how fortunate we just were!" _I held my hands up above me, _"How did that even happen? Fate has never treated us so kindly!"_

_"I don't even know how that was possible," _he carefully shrugged. Then his face fell to a more serious expression and he nodded to the key he held in his hand. He gently pulled on the metal trinket, but a small tentacle deeper inside Jones's lively beard tightly clutched on to it. _"I need help with this."_

_"Right," _I nodded while pointing towards our current situation. Taking my original position, I was about to reach for the small tentacle—so as to pry the key away from it—when an even better idea crossed my mind. Rather than let my hands touch that vile beard, I could just _replace _the key with something else.

Smirking, I pulled out the drawing of the key and began to gently stroke the tip of the smaller tentacle. I felt Will's confused eyes watch me over the top of the stave still in his mouth. I imagined him asking: _"What are you doing?"_

I shrugged just as the smaller tentacle moved from the key to the parchment, _"Just letting Jones know who it was that outsmarted him."_

When the task was officially done I looked back at Will. We exchanged smiles, although I couldn't decide whether I was happier with our success over obtaining the key or of the fact that the repulsive stave had finally left Will's mouth. Either way, everything was going accordingly to plan. It was astonishing, really, that something disastrous hadn't happened to us yet.

After smugly smiling up at Jones for the last time, Will slid back and headed for the door. I intended on following, but something else caught my attention.

Now that the pressure of Jones catching Will and I taking the key was gone, the melody of the locket changed. What I once took to be a lullaby seemed to now have an even deeper meaning. It was haunting how solemnly painful yet loving the tune was; almost a lament. I leaned forward to have a better look at the engravings on what I presumed to be the front. The locket was actually quite simple: heart-shaped, crab element, some sort of face.

_Wait… _I felt my brows knit together as a fait memory entered my thoughts. _I've definitely seen this before… but where was it?_

Before I could remember anything, I felt a tug on my elbow the exact same moment the locket's melody came to a stop. I looked to my right, not at all surprised to see Will standing there. He inclined his head back towards the door, _"Come on, let's go."_

I was so entranced by the locket that I didn't move right away, which only made Will drag me to the exit. I easily complied because I didn't want to stay in Davy Jones's quarters any longer than needed, but I couldn't take my eyes off of that silver locket. It was only when we reached the door that I fell from my trance. And that was only to grab a conveniently placed leather cored before being pulled from the room.

As soon as we were in the Captain's hall with the door to the cabin tightly shut, Will turned to me and whispered the first words of the hour, "Evelyn, why didn't you leave? We had the key, there was no reason to-"

"Key," I simply said with an outstretched hand, completely ignoring his comments.

"It's in my hand, Evelyn, and I won't be dropping it anytime soon."

"Well Will, do you _want _to carry it all night? Or would you rather wear it around your neck?" I smugly replied while raising the leather cord I found. Needless to say, Will handed me the key without any further protests. Moving at a rapid pace, I removed the ring from the end of the key, strung the leather through the now free loop, tied a knot at the end of the cord, and satisfyingly handed it back to Will.

However, he shook his head and refused to accept it, "How about you hold on to the key."

_You don't need to tell me twice! _I thought with a wide grin. Will chuckled one time when I put the key around my neck, but his face turned firm as he looked to the door leading to the deck. My face was quick to follow. We both knew what task was coming next: leaving Bootstrap.

"I don't want to leave him either," I said, "but I know he's more frightened of us staying aboard the _Dutchman_."

"I just wish there was some other way…" Will trailed off after a pause. His eyes lingered on the door a few moments long, and then he took a deep breath and stepped into his fate. As usual, I was quick to follow in his footsteps.

Bootstrap wasn't too hard to spot once the chilled outdoors blew upon my face again. He was readying a longboat right across from where Will and I exited, actually. The only issue was the still unconscious bodies of crewmen lying in our path. I shook my head and sighed, _Pirates…_

Will led the way to his father, hopping over the men in the process. It was a bit difficult to both leap over something _and _be quiet about it, but it was definitely manageable. Besides, it didn't take too long. Four hops later and we were standing by Bootstrap.

He returned our sword belts back to us, seeing as they were confiscated the moment Will and I stepped aboard the _Flying Dutchman_. I was glad to have the sash back, but became less pleased when I noticed the loop crafted to hold a sword was weaponless. The thought of my blade being lost amongst numerous others was enough to make me frown. The sword was simple, just something I grabbed before being forced out of Port Royal; nothing special. But it was _my _sword… technically.

One glance at Will's sash confirmed his weapon was missing as well. We were defenseless, but Bootstrap seemed to have already noticed this dilemma as he quickly handed Will a small dagger. "Here… Take this, too." He sadly turned to me, "I'm sorry, Evelyn, but there was only one dagger I was able to take without-"

"It's fine, Bootstrap. I understand," I assured with a forced smile.

He nodded back before facing Will once more, "Now, get yourself to land with Evelyn, and _stay_ there."

Will looked at his father with horror. I'm positive my face appeared in a similar fashion. Bootstrap was basically telling us to leave him aboard the _Dutchman _and never look back. I certainly didn't like that, but I understood why he was saying these sacrificial words. That didn't mean it was right though. "I wish there was some way you could come with us."

"There isn't. Even if there was, it was always in my blood to die at sea," he replied to me before directing his attentions to his son. "It was not a fate I ever wanted for you, nor did I wish it upon the one you love."

_Love? _My mind caught on the term. It was such a powerful word, and to have it be a connecting factor between Will and I… something just didn't fit. … Maybe? Everything was just a mess of confusion in my mind and I preferred not to think of such a deep emotion.

To distract myself, I looked to the dagger. Will had pulled the blade from its sheath, allowing the metal to shine through the darkness. He sadly turned it over in his hands, "It's not a fate you had to choose for yourself, either."

"Aye," Bootstrap softly agreed. "I could say I did what I had to, when I left you to go pirating. But it would taste a lie to say it wasn't what I wanted." There was a pause as father and son gazed upon one another for possibly the last time. I myself had to look away from the powerful scene; I almost felt as though I were intruding on them. "You owe me nothing, Will. Just seeing you alive and settled is far more than I could have asked for." I allowed myself a small peek up at Bootstrap, only to find him softly smiling back at me. My heart nearly fell to pieces. "Now go… both of you."

Will shuffled in his spot, anger slowly building as he looked about the ship. "They'll know you helped us."

His father simply laughed at him, "What more can they do to me?"

"Bootstrap, please," I said, gently placing a hand on his left arm. "This is Davy Jones we are referring to; the cruelest captain to ever sail the Caribbean. He will certainly think of something, and I'd hate to have you suffer on our behalf. Is there anything that can be done so the fault doesn't lie on you?"

"They will point to me either way; it will be my son and his fiancée who escaped. Who else are they going to blame?" He seemed content with whatever lied ahead, but this didn't mean I was. I bit my lip and turned to Will, but as our eyes met, he could only offer a defeated sigh. Bootstrap continued, "Besides, I am bound to the ship. There is no escaping her or those aboard."

The realization that we were cursed no matter what course we took set in, and I found myself taking a step back. This wasn't the first time I felt trapped aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, but it was certainly the hardest. Dread began to bubble up from the pit of my heart, not resting until the sensation coursed through my veins.

"I take this with a promise," Will suddenly declared, raising the handle side of the dagger. Anger and despair filled his every word. "I'll find a way to sever Jones's hold on you, and not rest until this blade _pierces_ his heart." My eyes transfixed on Will's face, watching as the despair slowly swallowed his anger. "I will not abandon you… I promise."

Father and son held the other's gaze, each somber face having difficulty focusing on what lied before them. The disheartening scene left me torn between Bootstrap and freedom, an impossible decision to make. I felt fresh tears start to build, but refused to release them. I looked to Bootstrap, but his saddening expression pained me more. I turned to Will, only to have his eyes jump from the floorboards, to me, to the dagger, and lastly at his father. He was holding off his emotions so as to appear stronger, but he shouldn't have to.

Gently, I laid my hand on his right shoulder. Our eyes instantly locked, and I offered the best possible smile I could bare. My own pain was probably visible on my face, but I hoped he noticed it. Will needed to know he wasn't alone; that it was all right to show when agony entered the soul.

I felt a hand… his hand… gently push against my back, spinning me closer until something warm pressed against my lips… his lips. I was too shocked to move, but welcomed this sudden kiss with closed eyes nonetheless. Somewhere, deep inside, I think I had actually _wanted _to kiss him again. My heart beat fast, and a second pounding from Will's chest told me his heart matched mine. We were one: one body, one soul, one person. A sense of passion tickled my lips. It was something I had never experienced before… and I like it. I leaned forward, craving more of this lightening sensation. Will's hand tightened on my back, heeding my call and pressing me towards him in response. He nearly lifted me up just so we could be closer.

And then he just walked away, brushing passed his father on his way to the longboat. He left me standing in the exact same spot he kissed me, light headed and directly in front of his father. There were many questions buzzing through my head—why had Will kissed me? _Why_ when there was no reason to? Had he felt the same passion I had? The same desire? The feeling of becoming one?—but the ultimate, rather uncomfortable, placing of Bootstrap spoke stronger words to me: it was my turn to say goodbye.

"Sorry," I breathed with a soft smile. He didn't say anything. Although sorrow probably rendered him silent, I still felt strange standing before him. I uncomfortably coughed by means of changing the subject, "I promise not to forsake you either, Bootstrap. We may have only somewhat recently met, but already I see you as a father in my mind. You're far a better one than mine ever was."

He softly snorted, possibly recognizing the mistakes my drunken father made when he _thought _he was a pirate, just as Barbossa had when he first learned my name. "I already think of you as a daughter, Evelyn. You wouldn't even need to be marrying my son."

_Good, because I'm not. _ I thought before sighing. Will and I were leaving, it was only right for Bootstrap to know the truth behind his son. "Bootstrap, before I go, there's something you should know. Will and I are not…"

I looked right into his eyes as I spoke, which was a poor decision on my behalf because instantaneous guilt sunk in. Bootstrap was about to be left alone on this ship for all of eternity, most likely tortured by Jones every second before he molds into part of the ship. Although telling Bootstrap about Elizabeth would be the just thing to do, was it morally right? Allowing a burdened soul to feel more troubled by the worry of his son sailing the seas until he can rescue both himself and his true fiancée from death? No, no it wasn't. At least the small lie of Will and I being engaged would bring some light into his darkened future.

I sighed again, "Will and I do not plan on sailing the seas for long. We were only sent out on a task. You needn't worry about fate forcing us to die at sea."

"Well that's comforting to hear!" Bootstrap happily replied. He almost appeared _relieved _that we didn't plan on living our lives at sea. "Promise me once you two reach land, you'll stay there."

"As much as I would like to promise you that, I can't. Will and I each made a promise not to abandon you. We _will _come back for you some day," I sternly said to a less-than-pleased Bootstrap. He was touched and hopeful by the reinforcement of Will and I's promises, but the majority of his face was riddled with an overpowering sadness. I knew he would rather have us not put our lives in danger, opened his mouth to protest too, but I wanted none of it. Another change of subject was in order. "Bootstrap, your son is the greatest man I have ever met. After meeting you, I now see where this greatness comes from. I will sorely miss you."

"And I you," he ultimately smiled before placing his hand on my shoulder and kissing my temple. I felt a blush form on my cheeks, never having experienced such a fatherly gesture. "Now you must go."

I nodded and headed for the boat, but not before giving Bootstrap a quick hug and sniffling, "Farewell, Bootstrap."

Will didn't say anything as I climbed to the seat across from him. He simply sat where he was, arms resting on his knees and looking to the floorboards. I mirrored his silence, although I looked to the approaching ocean rather than the wooden boat. Neither of us moved a muscle the entire time Bootstrap singlehandedly lowered the longboat. It wasn't until we floated atop the water that we moved: each unhooking the ropes from the longboat and Will instinctively picking up the oars. Still we spoke no words.

When we were a decent ways away from the ship, I took one final look back. Through the thick fog I detected Bootstrap watching as our distance became greater with each passing second. I waved at him one final time. I thought I saw him nod back at me before disappearing, but I wasn't entirely sure.

So I turned back to Will, who continued to row on in silence. When he felt my eyes upon him, he briefly looked up. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but shook his head of it and looked to his shoes.

_Well if he won't say anything, then I will. _I mentally decided. Although I wanted to ask him of our intimate moment, or express empathy about him having to leave his father, I knew that's not what he _needed_.

"I'm terribly sorry, Will, but it looks as though we won't be marrying after all," I shrugged. Will looked up again, a small smile gracing the corners of his lips. "It's a pity too. I had just decided on the colors…"

"Oh really?" Will humorously asked, _finally _laughing. "And what were they?"

"Well, I've always been a fan of using light colors. You know, to symbolize eternal happiness. But I was really starting to like maroon…" I couldn't remain serious any longer and released my laughter only after a short pause. Will had been lightly chuckling the entire time, so I blame him for my loss of focus.

When his chortles grew louder, I grabbed the oars from his hands. "Now give me those! The last thing you need is to be rowing, especially with those wounds of yours." I knowingly raised a brow, but he brushed off my concern. He took a breath to protest, as he normally did when I took on demanding tasks, but I cut in, "If it makes you feel better, you may take the oars back in a few hours." To my joyous surprise, Will actually _complied _with my proposal. He thankfully smiled, to which I nodded.

And so we rowed silently into the night, leaving the _Dutchman _behind us.


	17. Investigations

**Hello everyone! I know this has little to do with **_**Pirates of the Caribbean**_**, but I watched **_**The Hobbit **_**(watched it TWICE, actually) and it is positively FANTASTIC! And I'm only saying that with a little biased opinion (I adore **_**Lord of the Rings **_**as much as I do this franchise and **_**Narnia**_**). I highly recommended it. As for this chapter, I'm afraid it's more of a filler-ish type of chapter. I meant to do the kraken, but I typed far more than I planned. So I decided to split the original chapter up, which means 1.) The next chapter **_**will be **_**the kraken, and 2.) It could potentially be shorter than what I have recently been posting. But I do have a tendency of over writing… So we'll see what happens ;D**

dream lighting: _Aww, I'm glad you think that! They're best buds! With more emotions than what friends should have, of course. But I'm telling you, friendship before love (even if you sense love right from the start). That's what I try to live by!_

bonniebeast: _I didn't even entirely plan on writing it in either. I was just writing out what to do for the chapter and next thing you know, BAM! My fingers typed it out as an idea. Then I thought about it and was like "You know what? … LET'S DO IT!" So that's how that happened… Although you won't know why until later ;)_

dark-dreams-of-love: _Thanks for reading, reviewing, and enjoying! I'm thrilled you picked up on the emotions, as that is what I'm trying to play on with this story. And just you wait until; I have some big things planned via emotions._

**Thanks to my other reviewers as well! I love everything you girls/guys write (seriously, I do).**

**So happy reading! I hope everyone enjoys this and prepares themself for the kraken attack (I AM SO EXCITED TO WRITE IT!).**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

The fog thickened as I rowed, which was both a blessing and a curse. Although the surrounding mist covered Will and I's escape, it didn't take away from the fact that moisture was in the air. My shirt sagged onto my arms and I felt the weight of my hair as it grew damper. This was not at all pleasing from a rower's perspective.

I missed the Sun. I was sick of this never-ending darkness and the feeling of constantly being soaked. It was terrible, horrible, miserable, every other negative term I could think of. I longed for the Sun's warm rays to dry my skin. With every stroke of the oars I hoped to see just a hint of sunlight, but as the second hour rolled by, I began to think I'd never see that ball of fire ever again.

Although the lack of sunlight was highly disappointing, the need to move quickly never left me. Will and I needed to be a significant distance away from the _Flying Dutchman _by morning because once the crew discovers our absence; they will surly search for it would be a large, mystic ship against a manually powered rowboat. Will and I didn't stand a chance in that situation. A sense of urgency definitely still lurked about. So I continued to push, ignoring the aches of my arms and the sharp pains from callouses on my hands.

The discomfort of my upper body may have actually been bearable if there had been someone to speak with. Yes, Will sat across from me in the tiny longboat. But had he uttered a single word since our parting from Bootstrap? No. Instead he remained silent, dozing off and on as time progressed.

Rationally thinking, it was probably best we didn't speak. First of all because he needed as much sleep as he could get. I did too, I suppose, but Will had a tendency of taking charge when things became tight. So he needed to keep his head clearer than I did. Secondly, the ocean had a tendency of playing tricks on those sailing upon it. So, despite my adamant rowing, the current could potentially carry us back to the _Dutchman_. If that were the case, then any conversation would easily be within earshot and we'd be held captive all over again. That was not the best of situations, especially since Jones's sacred key could plainly be seen around my neck.

Thus I was forced to rely on my mind to keep me company… and awake.

I thought of many different events as I rowed, mainly those pertaining to this new adventure. How this whole situation started, Beckett's death threats, those Cannibals, legends proving not to be so mythical, the visit with Tia Dalma, the false _Flying Dutchman_, and then being on the actual ship. The kisses with Will had a habit of popping up amongst every topic, specifically the powerful kiss after the barrel incident and the sudden passionate one Bootstrap had witnessed. However, such topics made my insides churn. It didn't help that Will sat directly across from me either. So I forced myself, numerous times, to brush those kisses aside.

Instead, shockingly enough, my thoughts turned to Jack. There was something suspicious about the way he had acted the night Jones took Will and I. He just seemed a bit off… more so than usual, anyway.

Jack hadn't wanted me to go aboard the false _Dutchman _with Will. When I asked why, he gave me an absurd authority figure gesture as a reason. Then he constantly offered ambiguous sentences I hadn't necessarily looked into at that moment: how he "needed me" to stay on the _Pearl_, but I'd find out why later; checking to make sure I still had the drawing since I was "going to need it;" and most importantly, after Will's capture, Jack's promise that we'd be reunited shortly. _"Trust me,"_ he had said before distracting himself with something else. He hadn't wanted me to ask any questions.

_Was there anything else? _I pondered, searching the confines of my mind until a vague memory caught my attention: the flicker of eyes; one that symbolized the switch of emotion. These eyes did not belong to Jack though… they belonged to Davy Jones.

Although his cold eyes remained just as firm throughout his and Jack's negotiations, it was only _after _I willingly volunteered that a slight look of compassion crossed his face. The coloring of his eyes seemingly shifted and his facial features quickly followed. I remembered actually staring right back into those eyes until his sudden softness got to me.

_But what was it Jack had said?_

I recalled the rogue pirate mischievously smiling with twinkling eyes before attempting to make mine and Will's souls have a higher price. He had concocted some sort of speech, though the exact words were a bit vague to me now; something about Will's love for Elizabeth and their eventual marriage. Well, he hadn't exactly mentioned Elizabeth's name specifically, but everyone knew whom it was Jack referred to. Actually, it was quite amazing how quickly he was able to fabricate a speech just after I volunteered.

"After I volunteered…" I whispered, somehow feeling compelled to say the sentence aloud. "_After_ I volunteered."

Jones's change of emotion, Jack's eloquent speech; all of it occurred after I had volunteered.

Jack made sure I had the drawing, prevented me from helping Will, ignored my questions, and hadn't immediately demanded the return of Will. He had been fueling my anger the entire time! Jack _knew _I would step in; _knew_ I would draw attention to myself by means of loyalty. And once the deed was done, Jack described Will's love for Elizabeth and his intent on marrying her. _But he hadn't used her name. _The crew of the _Pearl _knew of Elizabeth, but not the crew of the _Dutchmen_.

Jones thought _I _was Elizabeth.

Jack had planned the entire thing.

This realization left me frozen. My rowing immediately stopped, the oars hanging just above the ocean as my knuckles tightly clutched the wooden handles.

"Will…" I managed to croak despite my shock. My voice had barely been a whisper, though, and Will had dozed off again. I took a deeper breath, "Will!"

His eyes snapped open that time and his hand immediately went for the dagger Bootstrap gave him. He scanned the area with the blade before looking to me. The initial distress of my call only heightened as he took in my petrified expression. "Evelyn, what's wrong? Has something-"

"Jack… Jack planned this. He's the reason we are here."

"Well we can't blame _everything_ on him." Will sighed, tucking the dagger back into its casing. "We were the ones that freed him from the hangman's noose."

"No, not that. I know that. I meant _here_, in this boat. Why we're engaged." The words spilled from my mouth without much thought, and as a result, Will cast me a rather strange look. My mind was clouded with too many words I needed to say, and my shortage of breath was not helping in the slightest. "Jack knew I would offer to board the _Dutchman_. Played it as love… marriage. I thought Elizabeth… Jones thought me. We shared a glance. I looked away. He believed Jack, thought engagement. But I had the drawing. Jack needed me here anyway. We just had to get this _blasted key_! And… and…"

"Evelyn!" Will cried amongst my gasping combination of thoughts. I thought he was going to say more, but he silently stared at me, probably trying to piece together my jumbled explanation. After a few moments, he took a sharp breath and spoke again, "Are you… certain… about your claim?"

I meant to respond, but as fresh air entered my lungs, it turned my chest to ice and I coughed instead. So I feverishly nodded my head as more coughs were exhaled. At that same moment, Will took the oars. I was actually quite glad of it too. I had been rowing for continuous hours and the whole process was becoming increasingly difficult, as evident by my coughing.

Will stared bitterly ahead as I tended to my fit. Even after my coughs had subsided and I was actually breathing normally again he continued to stare, his eyes darting across the surrounding darkness.

It wasn't until I was about to fall asleep that he finally said something, "Why would Jack not allow you to come with me to the false _Flying Dutchman_, then?"

"I'm not entirely sure… The mind of Jack Sparrow is a maze of endless possibilities. Perhaps it was just a secondary plan in case Davy Jones came. Jack did mention he hadn't known you would be captured," I shrugged with a yawn. "I don't understand why I needed to be part of this plan. You are more than capable of handling everything on your own."

"For sympathy," Will quickly answered. I tilted my head to symbolize my inability to grasp his reasoning. "Jack needed you for sympathy. With Jones's harsh past, Jack knew he would be slightly more compassionate towards young love. So when you sacrificed your soul, Jones, under the mindset we assume Jack influenced him to have, believed you'd rather join your love in this strange afterlife than be separated. Without you, Evelyn, Jones never would have opened himself enough to let us know where the key was."

I thought long and hard on this new layer of Jack's plan, actually finding the whole thing plausible. However, one thing about Will and I's insight troubled me: "I fear we are making Jack seem far keener than what he actually is."

Will shrugged, and even added a soft chuckle before taking a stroke with the oars. "Or perhaps Jack had faith that together we would pull through; that we could accomplish any task so long as we had each other."

I didn't know what to make of this second option; of whether Will was actually stating another possibility or speaking for himself. It was the wording and sudden softness of his voice that triggered my over-thinking mind. I should be deemed foolish for even considering something else was implied! But when we locked eyes, I couldn't help but feel otherwise.

I wanted to ask him then and there what the meaning behind that final kiss was. I needed clarification! The entire thing was just a mess of utter confusion in my mind. However, the words never came. I choked on the syllables I so desperately needed to say because I was afraid of what would follow. Denial? Hatred? Confession?

The less I interfered, the better. I had intruded into Will's engagement enough as it was. There was no sense in adding more complications, especially if someone's heart would be broken as a result.

For the moment, the best thing I could possibly do was stay silent and drift off into a dreamless sleep.

~.~.~.~.

A low voice and a considerable amount of shaking was what woke me some time later. I straightened up immediately, my eyes cracking open as I did so. The Sun nearly blinded me, for it had finally decided to make its appearance, and brought in an early morning chill. The fog was mostly gone now, but it had left behind two sodden persons in a longboat.

"How long was I asleep for?" I asked while stretching my back. The cracking sounds that followed were rather unpleasant.

"Nearly three hours," Will answered, instantly making me smile. Yes, sitting in a hunched position was not at all good for my back. But, since I thought I rowed a bit over two hours, I had done about half the work! I was quite proud of this accomplishment. Will, however, ignored my out-of-place smile and nodded to something behind me, "A ship is approaching and I'm sure they've noticed us by now."

I spun around, gasping when I noticed how close the starboard side of the vessel was. In fact, it was so close that I could almost make out silhouettes scurrying along the deck. I turned back to him, "Why did you wake me sooner?"

"You needed as much rest as possible," he shrugged with a soft smile. "But at this close range they'll be able to see us more clearly and it would be better if you were awake."

I nodded, understanding completely.

Will rowed our boat forward, each stroke bringing us closer to the ship. The shouts of men became clearer by the second, and even the finer details of the vessel could be detected. It wasn't until we were alongside the ship that I remembered the key hanging around my neck. How entirely exposed it was! In one swift movement I shoved the key behind my shirt, making sure to hide as much of the leather cord as possible. The cool metal upon my bare chest chilled me even more than the surrounding air.

_The fewer questions asked, the better, _I thought before the splatter of a wave crashing against the ship flew back at me. _As if I wasn't soaked enough…_

A strong voice then called down from above, "Hello, down there!" I looked up, catching a glimpse of a sullied man with a head so bald it shined under the Sun's rays. "Are you folk in need of assistance?"

"Assistance would be much appreciated, as we desperately need it! The decision ultimately lies with your Captain though, so we dare not ask." Will loudly proclaimed for us.

The man seemed uncertain of what to do, but one look at me—the trembling, freshly drenched woman—seemed to convince him otherwise because he began barking orders over his shoulder, "Jameson! Peters! Fetch some ropes and prepare to bring up the longboat!" Moments later, two young boys scurried down the ladder on the side of the ship, a long rope in each of their hands.

Will carefully brought the longboat beside the ladder, more water splashing against us both. By the time we reached the boys—presumably Jameson and Peters—we were each soaked to the bone. Regardless, the two boys stepped into the longboat. One of them carefully grabbed my arm, "You first, Miss, and mind your step."

I replied with a smile, deciding it would be best not to tell them my seafaring experience exceeded their expectations. The boy held fast as I stood, and slowly exchanged places with me so I could reach the ladder all the while keeping the small boat balanced. The other boy did the same with Will, and together we climbed up onto the deck of our savior ship.

I thought Will and I would be granted some sort of blanket to dry off with, but instead we were met with gasps; most likely a response to my "masculine" attire. My arms quickly crossed one another in an attempt to warm myself up.

"Welcome aboard the _Edinburgh Trader_," the bald man greeted. "I am the Quartermaster aboard this merchant vessel. Bellamy is her Captain, though you will not be seeing him until I clear you." He crossed his arms and turned his skeptic eyes to Will. "So what is it that brings you here? A man found alone with a woman in the middle of the ocean."

"Well we… we were simply…" Will, his eyes darting across the assembled crew, stumbled. The Quartermaster's brow rose when Will was unable to come up with anything. I, on the other hand, forced my mind into overdrive to think up some sort of excuse. Only one immediately came to mind though, and I wasn't particularly keen on using it. But we were pressed for time—both from the inevitable approach of the _Dutchman _and our response time—and needed to answer as quickly as possible.

_It appears the wedding is back on… _I mentally grumbled before stepping forward. "You must excuse my fiancé's lack of speech, Quartermaster. He has been rowing for nearly three… days straight with little to no rations."

"Fiancé?" The man outwardly stated before looking to Will for clarification. When he nodded, the man looked between the two of us. "Then why is it you two are all the way out here in nothing but a longboat? You're not the bait of some pirate trap, are you?"

"Dear Lord, no!" I forced myself to gasp while latching on to Will's arm. For dramatic purposes, of course. "Quite the contrary, Quartermaster, for we were _attacked _by pirates." A chorus of gasps emerged from the crowed, and they only grew as my fictional tale continued. "We were passengers on a grand ship, just returning from England. We were visiting with our families to announce our _rather recent_ engagement. We had just entered our fifth week out at sea when a group of vicious pirates attacked the ship."

"Which ship was it?" Someone shouted from my left.

I scanned that portion of the crowed with, hopefully, lifeless eyes and named off the only actual pirate ship I knew of: "The _Black Pearl_."

A round of whispers followed, some of which expressed their shock over that particular vessel coming out of hiding. I remained firm with my answer though, so as to make the story more believable. It's not as though I knew of Jack Sparrow's delay of pirating. Nor did I care too much about it since pirates were known to come back after a short vacation.

The only muttering that really got to me was said by a man with curled hair tucked beneath a tricorn hat, "I told you women bring terrible luck when at sea."

I glared at the man, "That statement is false, Sir, for we sailed _to_ England without any form of trouble."

"Begging your pardon, Miss. I meant no insult."

_I'm sure, _I scoffed with a shake of my head. "At any rate, many passengers and crewmen were murdered by the _Black Pearl_'s onslaught, yet they spared us. They cast us into a longboat and, as punishment for our survival, stranded us with few provisions. In fact, we had just finished off our food and water." I looked to the floor, praying this made me appear feebler. A shudder also passed through me, but that was completely accidental. "I fear we may have perished had this majestic _Edinburgh Trader _not crossed our path."

More hushed voices drifted amongst the crew, and this time they appeared more promising towards Will and I's case. A sigh here, a curse towards pirates there; I even heard a few pitiful exclamations. All was going well until the Quartermaster stated his views.

His boots suddenly appeared in my vision, and I slowly raised my head with the most saddened, big-eyed expression I could muster. He was not an intimidating man—not in the slightest—but his wandering eyes told me he was very analytical. Probably so loyal to his Captain that he made sure everything was thoroughly thought over.

"Your troubles are quite possible, as your fiancée does seem quite distraught," he said directly to Will. "Pirates are meddlesome creatures that strike any ship at unknown times. Both of your weary appearances prove you've been through much, and your attachment shows your close relationship. However," the man, for the first time, looked directly at me. That single word matched with critical eyes caused my blood to run cold and my fingers to inadvertently tighten their grasp on Will, "where is your engagement ring? I don't even see a posy ring! Surely a young man due to wed a young woman would bestow one of these upon her finger."

"The pirates stole it! … When they stranded us." I hesitantly offered, my left hand twitching.

"Fair enough. We all know the greediness of pirates, and also of their caution. Is this why your fiancé has no sword attached to his belt?" This man was proving to be far more challenging than I had anticipated. When I opened my mouth to answer though, the Quartermaster was already asking more questions. "But why do you carry a similar sling? More importantly, why are you wearing pants?"

My opened mouth fell until I bit my bottom lip. The question was odd, but one in which I could not answer. Women were supposed to wear dresses no matter what, and finding one in men's attire surely hinted at piracy. _Now what? Think, Evelyn, think!_

Will was positively useless. The only things to come from his throat were the choking of words and unfinished sentences. So it was up to me… again. And just as before, only one solution came to mind.

I fainted.

Or at least I pretended to.

At first Will was just as surprised as the rest of the _Edinburgh Trader_'s crew when I was suddenly "unconscious" in his arms. It was only after I subtly squeezed his arm and flashed a smile that he, I assumed, caught on to my ruse. Now it was his turn to do the acting.

I heard him gasp and felt the back of his hand feel the sides of my face. "She's fainted!" Despite our tight situation, I had to fight back a smile from his obvious statement. "The recent stressful, dramatic events must have finally got to her. She's been so strong over these past frightful days… I'm surprised she held out this long." The temptation of smiling was instantly erased with Will's final statement, but there was really nothing I could do about it. If this was what stirred the men, so be it. "She's even shivering!" Once again, the shivering was completely unintentional for I truly was chilled by the early Caribbean wind blowing onto my damp clothing. Will did a very convincing job at sounding concerned though.

My knees suddenly lifted up, and my shaking self curled closer towards Will as a result. "Is there some place I can take her? Somewhere warmer and not so out in the open?"

"Right this way, Sir!" The voice of the Quartermaster quickly replied. Will then began walking forward, and I heard orders for blankets being barked out towards a few unfortunate crewmembers.

_So you do care, _I internally smiled at the Quartermaster.

Apparently wherever the Quartermaster was leading Will was down a set of stairs because I felt myself dropping. I was afraid Will would lose his hold on me, but miraculously he managed to keep his balance. I'll admit, I was quite impressed. Nonetheless, I waited until I heard Will's foot drop onto a sound floorboard before "recovering" from my faint.

My eyes fluttered open. "Wh… what happened? Where am I?"

"You fainted… dear." Will softly mumbled before setting me down on a barrel in the corner of the room. "And the Quartermaster has kindly led us into the Captain's Cabin."

I briefly gazed around the room, finding it much more spacious than Davy Jones's had been. I also noticed two men standing nearby, watching mine and Will's every move. "How gracious of the Captain to lend us is room."

Will only nodded his agreement before taking a seat beside me. Blankets were draped around our shoulder's shortly after, and it was then that I noticed how cold Will had been. Although he hadn't even flinched on deck, he now sunk into the warmth of the blanket. A single tremble cascaded through him, causing the loose ends of his hair to spill forward. He appeared as a crazed man. The beverage given to us only exaggerated this image.

The drink was warm to the touch and my icy hands easily found comfort in this. They cupped around the piping cup, absorbing as much warmth as possible. I didn't wish to drink the contents for fear the heat would leave. However, the more the delicious steam filled my nostrils, the more I longed for a taste. So I took a few sips, each little gulp warming my throat, before three men descended down the stairs.

The man in front dismissed the two assigned to watch us when he reached the floor. Then he turned to us. Despite his short stature, he had a nobler appearance compared to the two following him—who just so happened to be the Quartermaster and the man who muttered woman of possessing bad luck—and also a surprisingly kind face. His eyes, however, were quite penetrating. A sword was clutched at his side. "I am Bellamy, Captain of this ship. You've already met the Quartermaster, and beside him is the Bursar." He nodded to each man respectively before holding the sword out to Will, "Whether you be a friend or not, a young man should never be without a weapon; especially if that man is due to be married."

"Thank you, Captain Bellamy." Will said as he tucked the weapon into the sword loop of his belt.

Bellamy then turned to me, "And how are you feeling, Miss.? I heard how you fainted on deck, and I'm terribly sorry I could not have been there to offer more assistance."

"I'm fine, thank you. The blankets and hot beverages are helping greatly," I softly smiled while straightening myself up. "And don't trouble yourself too much, Captain, as offering us your cabin and these few provisions is more than my fiancé or I could have ever asked for."

"If you need anything else, Miss., fell free to ask." We exchanged courteous smiles, but then he turned his attentions to Will and his entire face dropped. The Captain's tone became stern, signifying his skepticism. "Now, the Quartermaster has told me the tale of your presence, and I must say it is most impressive. For it is strange to come upon a longboat so far out in open water."

"If the Quartermaster told you our peril, then you know why that is." I firmly stated although technically he was not addressing me.

The Captain's eyes met mine, "Ah, yes, but it is still curious. I have never heard of pirates acting out this way before."

"Perhaps that's because there's never been any survivors…" I grumbled to my cup.

"Your attire is also quite questionable, Miss. Which ship was it you were on before the pirate invasion?"

Having no response, I bit my lip. I could feel his questioning eyes drilling through my skin, yet still I could not come up with a plausible explanation.

"Just put as many leagues behind us as you can." Will hoarsely jumped in, his distraction catching everyone's attention. "As _fast_ as you can."

"And what are we running from?"

Will's eyes darted across the three men before locking on to something in the background. Either way, it was clear he had no intention of answering, so I daringly responded again. "In case the _Black Pearl _shows up. We have no idea where the ship is, and I honestly don't think I could handle another invasion."

My hand flew to my chest as I pretended to hyperventilate. The men nodded and grunted at my answer, accepting it as the truth. Will, however, had ignored everything and instead brushed pass the trio as he crossed the room. Having no idea what he was doing, I stood and followed after him. It was then that I noticed the dress.

Elizabeth's dress.

Elizabeth's _wedding _dress.

"That dress…" Will breathed, nearly mirroring my own thoughts. "Where did you get it?"

"It was found aboard the ship," Captain Bellamy stated.

"We would have offered it to you, Miss., had the dress not been cursed," the Bursar explained with an apologetic gleam in his eyes.

My eyes narrowed with confusion as I inclined my head. "_Cursed?_"

The Captain heavily sighed, "The crew thought it was a spirit bringing some _omen_ of ill-fate."

"That's foolish," Will shrugged before picking up Elizabeth's dress. I turned from his desperation of just missing his _true _fiancée to nod my head in agreement.

"Oh, yes. Exceedingly foolish." The Quartermaster also agreed upon seeing my excessive nodding.

I sat my cup down on a nearby stand, "Why do you still have the dress if there are no women aboard?"

"In the event the spirit gives us another message," the Bursar seriously replied. When my brows rose, the man knew I did not believe a word he had just said. "Last time it brought good fortune. The spirit told us… _'Pull in at Tortuga,'_ and we made a nice bit of profit there."

"Off the books, of course." Bellamy added with a smile.

_Clever, _I smiled with them and their obvious silent protest against the East India Trading Company. Everyone in the Caribbean knew Tortuga was the last free port in these waters. _But this only means Elizabeth must be in Tortuga._

"I imagine… some of your crew may have jumped ship there." Will slowly said, turning to face the Captain. I hung my head because of his sudden daze. I understood Will's desire to know of Elizabeth—I mean, she was free; no longer locked up in Port Royal like we thought she was—but now was _not _the time to lose focus. We were still under surveillance.

"Why do you ask?"

"Captain!" A sailor scuttling down the ladder cried, interrupting Will before he could answer Captain Bellamy's question. "A ship's been spotted."

"Colors?"

"She isn't flying any." My eyes widened at the sailor's words.

"Pirates," Captain Bellamy concluded the dismaying truth. "Most likely the one's that attacked you."

Will and I made distressed eye contact, and I swear my heart stopped beating for those few seconds. We both knew it could only be the _Dutchman_.His eyes never drifted from mine as he next spoke, "Or worse."


	18. The Kraken

**Happy Twenty Thirteen! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and new year! Anyway, I am SO EXCITED for this chapter! Why? Well, look at the title! IT'S THE KRAKEN! This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie and it has been a driving point for me to write this story for the longest time (before I brainstormed on what else to do, that is). So I hope I'm able give the Kraken some justice!**

Dalonega Noquisi: _I pray this update was posted soon enough for you! And that it proves to be a more exciting read (gotta love the action scenes)._

bonniebeast: _I like your enthusiasm! However in this particular chapter, there's a tiny distraction preventing dear Evelyn and Will from being together (*cough cough* Kraken *cough cough*) xD_

**Your reviews… they make me smile. Simply reading them always gives me confidence.**

**Now turn on Hans Zimmer's lovely corresponding song, grab some snacks and or beverages, sit back, and prepare yourself for… THE KRAKEN!**

**~MisticLight**

**P.S. Does anyone remember when Hurricane Sandy hit the United States and a replica pirate ship was lost at sea during the storm? Well, it was actually used in this movie as the **_**Edinburgh Trader**_**. The ship was originally called the **_**HMS Bounty**_**.**

**P.P.S. In case anyone is interested, I succumbed to the world and got a tumblr. So if anyone has an account and wishes to follow me, my name is "MaidenOfLorien." I'll probably only be posting nerdy stuff, so prepare yourself ;) I just thought you all would like to know. Happy Reading!**

~.~.~.~.

I quickly followed after the men as they stormed their way onto the deck. Will was quick to scramble up the rigging while I continued to trail behind Captain Bellamy. My hands clutched the blanket still draped around my shoulders as I shuffled along. The chilling air bit the damp parts of my hair, but it was the building fear that sent a shiver down my spine. _What if the ship proves to be the _Flying Dutchman_? What will the vile crew do if they captured the _Edinburgh Trader_? Should Will and I escape while we still can? Should we stay?_

I drew the blanket closer to me, allowing it to act as my barricade for the time being.

All men parted from the Captain's path, though for many it was unintentional as they gaped at the approaching ship. I was right on his heels, craning my neck over the sailors' heads to get a better look. I saw little of the ship, though, until I was forced to stop at the bow. That's when I noticed the sickening green color of something along the horizon.

I sucked in a horrified breath before Captain Bellamy even spoke. "Well it certainly doesn't appear to be the _Black Pearl_…" he squinted at the vessel before placing a telescope to his eye. "But which pirate ship it is I cannot tell."

He looked back at me as if expecting me to know, but I could only blink as a response.

Obviously I knew the ship. The words of the haunted vessel just wouldn't form, coming out as muffled squeaks instead. It was my memories that sent me into such a state. I did not want to go back to those sea-infested floors, be greeted by the Captain's sinister grin, or experience the pain tainting the air. Most of all, I think, I feared the misfortune Will and I brought onto the helpful crew of the _Edinburgh Trader_.

Where I could not answer, Will could. "It's the _Flying Dutchman_!" He shouted from his position at the top of the port mast. I briefly glanced up at him, but something fiercely knocking against the ship shook away my vision.

The wooden vessel vibrated from the unexpected crash, causing every soul to lose their footing as they plummeted to the ground. I fell back into a pile of ropes and, despite the decently padded landing, my head still managed to knock against a wooden bucket. Both the weapons inside and my head rattled on impact. I groaned and grabbed my pounding head, my heart thumping so loudly it felt as though drums were banging in my ears. The additional ache was not at all welcomed.

Surprised complaints resounded from the surrounding men, though I was only able to catch what was said by those nearest to me: "Oh, Mother Carey's chickens! What happened?"

The voice came from my right and belonged to the Bursar. I turned towards him only to find that he had almost fallen on top of the Quartermaster. "Must have hit a reef," the Quartermaster suggested as he hoisted himself up.

_This must be one large reef. _I thought as I sat up and fixed the placement of the blanket I somehow managed to hold on to. Moments later, the Bursar slowly pulled himself up and wobbled away from the bow mast to stand near his Captain along the railing. _At least these ropes were nearby and I hadn't fallen from a greater hei-_

I outwardly gasped and I felt my eyes double in size. _Will!_

I desperately searched the first mast, praying somehow he had managed to hold onto something and hadn't fallen to his death. My panicked eyes darted across the entire sail before _finally_ latching onto Will clutching a spare rope. I fell back with relief. If he would have fallen, I would be quick to crumble after him.

A large form stood before me seconds later, blocking my view of Will and extending a plump hand. "Allow me to help you up, Miss."

"Thank you, Quartermaster," I smiled as I took his hand. Once I stood and was able to see Will again, I never once took my eyes off him. Actually, the rest of the ship seemed to disappear as I watched him climb the sail. I knew Will had the strength and determination to successfully pull himself up, yet I held my breath until he had successfully done so.

Now my only concern lied with the approach of the _Flying Dutchman_.

"What I'm trying to say is…" I heard the Quartermaster explain over the shouted commands of other nearby crewmembers. When I forced myself to face him rather then Will, embarrassment flushed my cheeks. I hadn't even noticed the Quartermaster was addressing me. "A battle with these pirates will most likely occur, which makes this place no longer safe for you, Miss. It may be best if you returned to… to…" His sentence trailed off into an opened mouth and the widening of his eyes.

I tilted my head to the side. "… Quartermaster?" He said nothing, a terrified look crossing his face. "Quartermaster, is there something-"

A bloodcurdling scream from behind me took away all other words I wanted to say. I spun around just in time to see one long tentacle dragging a man into the depths of the ocean. Not just any man though, but Captain Bellamy himself. I had seen many terrifying images in my life, but none surpassed that tentacle slithering back into the ocean with the terrified Captain screaming at the end.

_Scream._ I wanted to scream but was unable to make a single sound. Air left me in short puffs of breath instead.

_Hands._ My free hand slowly raised to cover my terrified mouth as the other tightened its hold on the blanket. A death grip so tight I was able to feel my slowing heartbeat.

_Stumble._ I fell back, stumbled as pure horror made me think of all possible ways of escaping. However, I knew there was none.

There was no escaping the Kraken.

Petrified shouts resounded from the lips of every man as they scrambled to their storages of weapons. My mind told me to join them, but my legs simply would not move. I could not stop staring at the spot Captain Bellamy exhaled his final breath, for by now the generous Captain was surely dead.

A bell began to ring, desperation entering every chime. The sound was continuous and at that moment seemed never-ending. However, that was not the noise to grab my attention. Amongst the crowd of shouting men, scraping metal, and the bell, I swore I heard my name shouted. I turned my face to Will, who intently looked back at me.

His stare held me.

"Evelyn!" I barely heard him call out. "Evelyn, move!"

His words with that stare was enough to snap me back to my senses. I threw aside the blanket and leapt into action. Seconds after I moved to fetch a weapon, the tip of a tentacle shot at my former spot. It twisted and turned there before a spear landed in its slimy flesh. The tentacle stopped moving for a moment, as though building up anger, before swooping across the deck. I immediately pressed myself to floor, shutting my eyes so the dripping salt water would not sting them. The tentacle flew inches above, swooping over twice… and then nothing.

Hesitantly I cracked my eyes open, finding the bow of the ship to be momentarily safe. Not only had the Kraken temporarily moved elsewhere though, but its thrashing caused a bucket of weapons to spill over. At this point in the mass panic, I hardly doubted anyone would notice or care if I had a weapon. So I quickly snatched a sword and a spare hatchet lying nearby.

_Just in case, _I thought as I tucked the smaller item into my weapon sling. The sword I kept in my hand. That way if a tentacle crossed my path, I'd at least be able to hack at it.

And sure enough one did right when I spun around.

Summoning all my strength, I raised my sword and fiercely swiped it into the tentacle. Regrettably, the blade didn't even go a quarter of the way through. Even more unfortunate was when I could not get my weapon back out! I pulled back as hard as I could, but my efforts were done in vain. It simply wouldn't budge. There was little time to work at it before I noticed the tentacle curling back at me. The sword was a lost cause.

I jumped out of the way just before the tip whipped by. The sailor opposite me, however, was not so fortunate. Since the Kraken could not have me, it grabbed the poor man instead, twirling him through the air before dragging him over the ship. I gaped at the scene until a new tentacle began to slither its way over the railing.

Without wasting any time, I quickly swiped the sword of the unfortunate sailor from the floor and bolted into the chaotic deck. I had no idea what I was supposed to do in this situation, but my gut told me I needed to find higher ground. And what better place to be than on the mast with Will?

Ducking, dodging, covering my face with my arms. A twist to the right, a tentacle on the left, stooping low as another poor soul twisted into the air.

One moment I was beside the Bursar as he offered Elizabeth's "cursed" dress to the sea monster, and the next he was gone, captured by the Kraken. I dropped to the floor as he came whirling by, but I was not nearly quick enough. His foot managed to hit the side of my face, temporarily leaving my head spinning as it smacked against the wooden floorboards. The ground was stiff and uncomfortable, but it felt so nice not to move. I just wanted to block out everything about the Kraken, but I knew I had to keep moving. If I stayed in one spot for too long, my chances of being taken increased.

With a groan, I forced myself to stand and continue my frantic crusade. The quick motions and continuous scrambling about the deck left me disoriented though. Images blurred, sounds overlapped. The strong smell of gunpowder only left me more confused than what the whole mess already made me. Numerous times I tried shaking my head clear, but it only felt as though my brain was rolling inside my skull. Yet by some miracle I was able to reach the rigging leading to the mast. I immediately sheathed my sword and began to climb. I paused only once, and that was to see what the Kraken may have done to the other side. However, I discovered something far more disastrous: I was on the wrong mast.

In the act of spinning around tentacles, avoiding doomed men, and being disoriented, I had gone in a complete circle! Will was clearly on the _other _side of the ship; a place I seemed unable to reach.

_How on Earth did I manage to come back to the bow? _I sighed, wishing my hands were running down my face rather than clutching the rigging. I had unintentionally sealed my fate.

Or perhaps not.

Just as I realized my doom, a large snap whipped through the air and proved me otherwise. At the base of Will's mast, another tentacle snapped the sail in half. Splinters of wood rocketed everywhere as the mast staggered in its place before falling forwards. Will leapt from the top in an attempt to land on the bow's mast, but I could not tell whether he made it or not because I caught a glimpse of an approaching tentacle.

Will had always been fine on his own, but me? Not so much. I needed to look out for myself.

I shot up the rigging, the fastest I had ever moved in my entire life. My hands and feet magically found their way, which was good because I could barely focus on anything as it was. All was actually going well until the tentacle decided to strike. It thrashed just below my feet. The rigging violently shook from the impact, but I held fast to the ropes. As soon as the vibrations calmed, I continued to climb only to have the tentacle come whirling back around and strike just above my fingertips. I ducked down; clutching the ropes with all my might, but the fierce attack was too much this time.

Although my hands refused to abandon their post, my feet were not so loyal. They slipped out from beneath me and whipped me back. All the screams I held back throughout the Kraken's entire onslaught flew from me in those few terrifying seconds of dangling above the ocean before I was whipped back to the rigging. My entire body shook as I found my footing. My feet slipped a few times, each failed attempt causing a sharp pain of panic to pierce my heart, before I finally steadied myself. However, that did not prevent the vile tentacle from reappearing.

I saw it emerge through the corner of my eye. It violently shook and threw a man back onto the deck. Then it flew towards me. The only thing I could even think of doing was take out the hatchet I grabbed before and throwing it at the Kraken's tentacle. Praying I still had the strange ability to accurately hit a desired target, I aimed the weapon right for the top. Although it didn't exactly hit the tip, the hatchet still managed to lodge itself into the upper skin region of the tentacle.

The Kraken's limb halted its attack just inches from the rigging, trying desperately to shake the weapon from the sensitive portion of its skin. I didn't stick around to see if it succeeded with the task though. There was an opportunity to finish climbing the mast without any more intrusion from the beast, and I took it. I scuttled up as quickly as I could until I was securely at the top. Only then did I allow myself to take a breath and observe everything.

At least half the men were now gone, and those remaining hopelessly ran about the ship. The amount of shouts had yet to die down, but the will to fight had resorted to poking tentacles with a spear. A few men continued to fire their pistols at the Kraken, but each one was taken down moments later. Bodies, both dead and alive, flew through the air before being dragged under the ocean. But the beast was growing, becoming more vicious as it slithered up the ship.

A torn sail lied directly beneath me, leading to a second wooden railing where Will stood. He was dueling a tentacle attempting to snap the mast in half. Will knew if the mast fell death would surely follow, and I did too. So after sucking in another breath, I grabbed a loose rope and swung down to the lower portion of the mast. My boots hit the beam harder than I expected, causing my body to wobble on the narrow plank. My hold on the rope was the only reason I was able to steady myself.

I looked at Will, horror entering my soul when I witnessed the Kraken's tentacle wrap around his blade and force it from his hand. Will quickly stepped away before the tentacle could find him and drag him down just as it had with numerous other sailors. Since Will was now closer to me, I held no fear in taking the few steps to reach him and substituting the rope with his hand.

Upon feeling my touch, Will spun around. He appeared both fierce and frightened when I first locked eyes with him, but I clearly depicted a wave of relief wash once he realized it was I who clutched his arm and not the Kraken. I'm sure relief could easily be seen on my face as well.

I wanted to embrace Will, release tears of fright from the Kraken yet relief of finding him alive, and speak the thoughts running through my mind. I needed to tell him something… _anything_… just so I could hear his voice and see if anything flashed within his eyes as he spoke. There was an emotion burning inside me that I so desperately wished to express at that moment but was too afraid to accept as true.

There was hardly any time for us to speak though for shortly after we locked eyes, my gaze shifted to two large tentacles emerging from the ocean. They far outdid all other tentacles with their mass, their width alone more than doubling that of a tree trunk. And they continued to rise. With each inch they grew, both my mouth and eyes followed. The threat of them crashing down horrified me. When the actual action occurred, Will's touch was the only thing keeping me sane.

The tentacles smashed onto the deck while the remaining legs wrapped around the ship, crushing the frame beneath their weight. Men and chips of wood exploded into the air as the whole vessel shook from the impact, causing my left foot to slip off the mast. Despite the terrifying drop, I didn't care much for falling. Will had a stable balance and I was unable to remove my eyes from the scene before me.

The _Edinburgh Trader _was forced to split in two to make way for the giant mouth of the Kraken. A circle of teeth was the only visible part, but that couldn't prevent water from rushing into the center. Sailors who managed to hold onto the floorboards slid down the inclined deck and into the deathly mouth. Tentacles picked up prey more frequently, dropping their victims into the pit rather than the ocean. The crushing of the ship and screams of the hopeless men pierced my ears while their death forever imprinted into my mind.

I felt sick to my very core as I watched each sailor's gruesome end. The scene was repulsive and I wanted to look away, yet I could not. There was nothing I could do but watch on in horror as the Kraken devoured all remaining life.

Then a familiar crunch drew my attention to the base of the mast. The tentacle was still wrapped around the wooden sail, and its grip was tightening. In a matter of seconds the whole thing would topple over. I found Will's eyes again, but they only mirrored the disgust and terror I felt. There was no strength within them.

I didn't even try to block the fear in my voice when I spoke, "Will-"

The jolt of the mast finally breaking cut off my warning. Will and I both hurtled forward, but our hold on the mast's dangling ropes prevented us from falling into the Kraken's mouth. That didn't stop a small shriek from escaping my lips though.

We swayed from atop the mast until the uneven balanced forced the mast to fall sideways into the ocean. Will suddenly tightened his hold on my arm. "Evelyn, jump!"

I stared at him in disbelief, "What?" _The Kraken is in the water!_

But it was too late. Will was already diving into the ocean before my words even reached his ears. One breath later and I followed after him, flailing as my feet splashed into the water. I shielded my eyes from the salted water, but I didn't need to see in order to realize how deep I was going.

The height alone projected me far into the depths while the weight of my clothes and sword only pulled me down further. My ears stung from the added pressure and air bubbles somehow left my chest. Already I knew I was far below the water. Probably the deepest I had ever been in all my life. Still, I refused to let that fact scare me from trying to find world above.

My chest yearned for air so bad it pained my insides. So I kicked and propelled my hands forward, although I knew not if this pushed me to the surface or lead me farther down.

I could only hope that latter would not occur.


	19. Complicated Confessions

**Thank you so much everyone! I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of reviews that last chapter received. SEVENTEEN?! I'm so used to getting three or four and you all quadrupled that! Each new review planted the largest smile on my face. I was probably grinning like a mad fool for days! Still grinning, actually xD**

**So many people to respond to this time! AH! It's so exciting! Hopefully I'll be able to distinguish those who reviewed as guests.**

RenegadeVampireGirl: _Welcome back! I noticed you hadn't reviewed in a while and missed you (Sorry if that sounded super creepy .)._

Avalongirl55: _You think this is the best story ever?! :D Oh goodness, I don't even know what to say! You've got me blushing now! Haha! There are so many talented authors who write amazing stories on here and I never thought someone would consider one of my stories as one of them. Thank you very much! And here's your update… Enjoy!_

Gryffmick: _Nah, it's not weird. I do it sometimes too! So fangirl all you want, haha! And I see you have now found me on Tumblr! YAY! I'm following you too :)_

Guest (from 1/23/12): _Thank you so much for such a long review! I'm glad you appreciate the whole Elizabeth issue I decided to use because, in all honesty, her relationship with Will was the driving point of the first movie. So it only made sense to keep it, no matter how frustrating that may be to dear Evelyn. As for the rest of your review, Ah! I'm blushing all over again! Overall I'm just giddy with how much you love Evelyn. She's very dear to me and knowing someone loves her just as much lifts my heart. I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story (that you said was beautiful and thus proceeded to make me flip out)._

ToryIsConfusedDotCom: _You read both my stories in a day?! Wow! I'm glad you were able to bear with some of my previous writing (which I'm slowly fixing in whatever spare time I'm able to find)! And I'm so excited to see the return of Legolas, as I'm sure a LOTR fan such as yourself is too (good luck with your LOTR story too, by the way). Actually, I'm pretty sure we will both be experiencing a heart attack when his face pops up on the screen xD_

Guest (from 1/29/13): _ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I INSPIRED YOU?! OH MY GOODNESS! I am basically screaming inside right now. I can't believe the world right now. You alone had me excitedly screaming at the computer screen and nearly leaping around my kitchen (I'm not even kidding, I actually did that xD) WELCOME TO THE FANTASTIC WORLD OF WRITING, MY FRIEND! Keep me posted on your success!_

tuttycute: _Hello there! Your review came to me while I was in the middle-ish of typing this chapter, so hopefully you didn't have to wait too long ;D And there really needs to be more Will/OC stories on this website, I agree with you on that. ANYWAY! WOW! I have found myself speechless (yet again) after reading your review. I'm so glad you like this story! Your compliments to both me and the story blew me away. You're far too kind, my amazing reviewer. I enjoyed your little list at the end too. Haha! It was a brilliant new twist (that had me panicked for a moment, I'm not gonna lie xD) on reviewing! And can you really picture Evelyn in the movies?! I mean, really!? Because I basically squealed like a little child when I read that. AHHH(Correction: still screaming)HHHHH! I hope to hear from you soon! Although I do pray an update won't be too much a distraction from your piano practice ;)_

**I don't even know where to begin to thank you for all of your love and support! I mean, THERE ARE OVER ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS NOW! You all fill me with such confidence. I adore each and every single person reading this right now. I hope the reviews continue to come! I'll be posting either way, but reviews certainly help. I also hope everyone enjoys the small deleted scene in this chapter. Happy Reading!**

**Love forever,**

**~MisticLight**

**P.S. For fun, and to honor "The Hobbit," I threw in a very small "Lord of the Rings" reference in this chapter. Let's see how many of you can find it ;D**

~.~.~.~.

My feet earnestly kicked through the ocean, pushing me forward. The sword smacked against my thigh many times, but my desperation to reach the surface was of far more concern than the item weighing me down. The salty water was slowly beginning to fill my mouth and I could feel my chest tighten. There was probably only minutes left until I simply drowned.

_How deep had I fallen?_

Then I felt it: a brush of wind blowing over my fingertips. With one final push I was able to break through the water, gasping for air and heavily coughing all at once. I forced the ocean water from my mouth, though the unpleasant taste of salt lingered. I rubbed the same irritating liquid from my eyes, yet a slight sting still managed to emerge. There was simply no escaping the wrath the Caribbean seas had to offer.

And the sight now before me wasn't particularly favorable either. Debris floated all around: chunks of wood, a few barrels, dead bodies, a coil of rope… what remained of the _Edinburgh Trader_. The Kraken continued to tighten its hold on the split ship, its tentacles sweeping the deck for any remaining crewmen. Although the mouth was still hidden from sight, it was obviously close by. Probably lurking directly below the waters, waiting for what morsels managed to be dragged to the depths.

And yet here I was… floating all by myself only meters away from the whole scene.

_Wait… by myself?_ Pain surged to the pit of my stomach upon realizing I had yet to find Will.

"Will?" I calmly called, despite the current stressful situation. There was no response. "Will?" I was louder this time, yet still I received no answer. Panic descended upon my brain as the silence continued, quickening both my breath and heart. I frantically searched the waves as they passed by me, my hair whipping across my face with every turn of my head. "_Will!_"

The air remained still, unlike the thoughts swirling around my mind. _I jumped in seconds after him! Did we really land so far apart? Could he have swum away? What if the Kraken captured him? _I shut my eyes as the thought sunk in. _Oh, please don't let that be true. Will can't be dead. He can't! Not after all this! Not after the Kraken-_

Something moist wrapped around my left wrist. I instantly screamed and desperately tried to free my hand, but the grip was tight. There was no escaping. The Kraken had found me and any minute now I'd be pulled down just like the others.

"Evelyn!" … Apparently it wasn't the Kraken. My eyes instantly snapped open once the firm yet calming voice of Will graced my ear. "Evelyn, it's all right. It's just me!" My vision trickled to him, relief filling my entire soul when our eyes met. "There's no need to panic."

"… 'No need to panic'?" I exclaimed, the statement forcing irritation onto the relief I once held. I roughly pulled my arm from him, "Did you _really _just tell me there was 'no need to panic'? Because I am finding every reason _to_ panic! We are being hunted, William Turner, _hunted_ by a ship that draws closer to us _by the second_ and is captained by a literal heartless man. For the second time this day we are helplessly floating in the ocean, although this time we are without even a longboat! The ship that previously helped us now lies in _ruins_ while we, the ones who caused its destruction, appear to be the sole survivors. And why is the ship in ruins? Because it was attacked by the Kraken, Will. _The Kraken! _And despite all this, you decided the best way to get my attention was by sneaking up on me and grabbing my wrist without muttering a single word. How exactly does this give me reason to not panic?"

I waited for Will to react in some way, but he was unable to even meet my eyes. I couldn't blame him though because I was practically scowling at him. Not because I was necessarily angry with him—although his surprise entrance had nearly killed me—but because I was trying to hide what I truly felt… How frightened I was… Frightened of the Kraken, frightened we would be captured, frightened of going aboard the _Dutchman_… Above all I was frightened by what would happen to Will. He had been beaten and whipped last time we were aboard. What cruel punishment would Davy Jones release on him next?

Will's eyes dashed to mine for a moment, and just those few seconds told me he held the same fears as me. I was concerned for him; he was concerned for me… We were afraid for one another. We were uncertain about what would happen next: whether Jones would find us or if either of us would die. Nothing was clear. I could actually see the panic on Will's face… his fear and doubt. Never before had he allowed those emotions to slip onto his features, yet in that brief moment they managed to. He hadn't been able to restrain them, and I had been the trigger.

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "You're right. Panicking is not something I should be doing right now. We need to keep our minds open, and my fears will only cause a problem."

"How can they cause a problem when those same fears are plaguing my mind?" His hand entwined with mine—which was actually a bit difficult considering we were floating in the ocean—and he offered it a soft squeeze. "We do have every reason to panic right now, but we cannot afford to. We must focus."

I could only nod at Will's sincere and firm sentence. It was nice to know he was just as terrified as I was, but even then I felt slightly weaker than him. How on Earth was he able to keep a relatively level head? My mind was reeling.

A loud _crack _abruptly resounded from the _Edinburgh Trader_. Will and I each snapped our attention to the diminishing ship only to see the Kraken had broken off yet another wooden chunk off the bow. The sight cast a shiver down my spine, "We are far too close for comfort."

Will released my hand to analyze our surroundings, turning in a complete circle before his eyes finally found something. A relief-filled smile briefly crossed his face before he turned to me. "There's a large board we can hang onto. We could preserve our strength while thinking up a plan."

"Lead the way then," I smiled, completely content with the thought of figuring out our next move.

The board wasn't too far away, but the distance was great enough to exhaust me. I actually hadn't realized how tired I was until I threw myself across the wooden surface. My forehead pressed against the wood and I found myself deeply panting. My fingers managed to find the indents between the beams, and I held onto them as though letting go would pull me back into the ocean. Apparently I had made my sudden desperation s little _too_ visible because Will's arm suddenly draped across my back. His hand softly clasped my left shoulder, pulling me a bit closer to him. I was too drained to even gaze up at him though.

"_Haul! Haul!_" The distant call of a familiar guttural voice, however, did make me look up.

I had to flip my dampened hair away from my face to see, but the sight was certainly worth it. Will and I were _not _the sole survivors of the Kraken after all! Only meters away sailed a longboat filled with four men. Knowing they were alive filled me with hope. "It's the Quartermaster! Will, we're saved!"

"Hey!" Will shouted, wasting no time grabbing the attention of the longboat. He flung his right arm into the air to wave at the four men. "Over here! Hey!"

The Quartermaster spun around, and although I could not see his face, I knew he was about to say something terrible. "Sorry, mates! We mean no disrespect by leaving you both behind, especially since one of you is a woman, but it's every man for himself!"

As the round man chuckled to his companions, my jaw fell with disbelief. "He's not going to help us? What sort of a man leaves behind those in need? There is simply no reason for him to-"

A tentacle abruptly broke through the surface of the ocean, the sudden crash of the waves taking my breath away. The unexpected Kraken tentacle was in the air for only seconds before it came crashing down onto the longboat. Foam rose into the air on impact with some of the droplets even managing to rain down on me, not that I cared though. I was too busy gasping at the startling occurrence, far too shocked for words or screams. My hand instantly found Will's, wrapping around his palm in a death grip. He looked at me, I noticed, as my hold tightened, but I'm assuming all he saw was a frightened, nearly pale girl staring wide-eyed at the Kraken's final attack. Although I do not know what thoughts ran through his head at that moment, I knew they must have been something along the lines of sympathy. His hand released my left shoulder to instead push my head into his chest, therefore blocking my view of the attack.

I thought the Kraken was finished, that Will and I would be spared from witnessing more deaths. Listening to the screams from the men and the further crunching of the longboat was an obvious counter to my thoughts. So I was truly grateful to Will for forcing my eyes away. I needed a moment to compose myself, and watching more of the Kraken would only rattle my fears again. We couldn't afford that… _I _couldn't afford that.

When the water quieted down some, I heard Will sighed with defeat. His cheek pressed against the top of my head, as though the boat had been our last hope and its demise had taken his life along with it. We stayed that way for a moment, each of us collecting our thoughts, until I came to my senses. I was worried about how much time we were wasting, even though I was still not secure with my thoughts.

I pushed away from Will, scooting farther down the board and running a wet hand through my hair. Concerned eyes met mine, but I brushed them away. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I was startled, that's all." I took two deep breaths before meeting Will's eyes again. "Thank you."

He nodded, "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Positive," I said with a grin before shaking my hand from my hair. "But right now we really need to figure out our current situation. We can't just sit here! We must move."

"And where do you suggest we go? Any sort of land is miles away, and any ship that comes too close will fall prey to the Kraken." Will's voice wasn't harsh, but rather firm and doubtful. He had absolutely no idea of what we should do.

Hell, _I _didn't know what we should do. But I wasn't about to stay in the ocean until we washed ashore somewhere.

I opened my mouth to respond as such, but something behind Will caught my eye. A light fog had settled around us, so I hadn't quite noticed the approach of the _Flying Dutchman _until the large ship was nearly towering over us. I looked up at it, "Well, we could always try _that _out."

Will spun back to see what I was referring to, though his vision didn't remain on the ship for long. He quickly turned back to me, his eyes wild. "Are you mad? We are trying to _avoid_ that ship, not return to it."

"I'm not saying we climb aboard and announce ourselves to everyone! I merely thought we could hide there; in the jaw at the bow or something. The _Dutchman _has to travel somewhere, especially since we're still alive. Jones will be searching for us." Will took another glance at the ship, but he still appeared uncertain with my thought. I bit my lip. I didn't like my plan either, but what else were we going to do? If we stayed on the board, there was now a chance we'd be spotted. That outcome would probably be far worse than anything the Kraken had to offer. So I tried convincing him again, "It's not as though we have any other options at the moment. Besides, the closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm."

He looked to his hands, sighing many times and muttering incomprehensible words under his breath. His eyes darted around the open ocean as he thought, but eventually he ran a hand through his hair and sighed one final time. "You're right, Evelyn. The thing we are running from may actually be what saves us. We might as well try it out."

A very confident smile flooded my face as pride pumped through my body. _I thought this up! It feels marvelous to be acting upon one of my plans._

Will either hadn't noticed my confident grin or chose to ignore it, but either way he flew back into the ocean without another word. My face fell as I stared at the spot he once occupied. "Oh sure, leave me behind. I appreciate the _kind gesture_, William."

He didn't say anything back to me, obviously, because he was too busy swimming to the _Flying Dutchman_. It was actually quite irritating, but nothing I couldn't easily push aside. So with one final groan, I eased myself back into the water and followed after him to once again climb aboard the cursed ship of Davy Jones. And thankfully this swimming trip was only a few strokes away, nothing compared to when we swam to the wooden board. It only took a few minutes for us to reach the jaw at the bow and climb in.

There was actually a fair amount of space in the jaw. It was even tall enough for me to stand in; though Will had to duck down slightly the more he walked back. If I sat down, which I wasted no time in doing, there was more than enough space for me to stretch my legs out. All in all, and to my greatest surprise, the jaw of the _Dutchman_ was actually a comfortable place.

I turned to ask Will what his thoughts were, except he wasn't even there. Instead he was climbing _out _of the jaw. My mouth fell as I scurried to the port side of the ship. "Will, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to investigate Jones, and perhaps I'll even catch a glimpse of my father…" His eyes glided to the deck above. The worry he carried was evident, even if he did try to cover it up with a smile. "Would you like to join me?"

"No, I'll stay here. It's easier for one to sneak around than two. But do keep an eye open for Bootstrap, I too worry for him." I forced a smile onto my face, and I'm sure it appeared as such. Nonetheless, Will nodded back and proceeded to make his way along the side of the ship. Before he got too far though, I called after him one final time: "And please be careful!"

I didn't even wait to see if he responded because I just wanted to rest. Far too many near-death experiences had occurred for my liking, and I all I really needed was a moment of peace. Even if it was for just a second! Will probably wouldn't have answered me anyway. He had been pretty close to the railing when I called after him, so any sound he made had a chance of being detected. So really there was nothing I needed to worry about.

Except for the key.

I don't know how the troublesome trinket crossed my mind, but once it did, I began to panic. The last time I remembered seeing the key was when Will and I had boarded the _Edinburgh Trader_ and I shoved it under my shirt, and that was _before _the Kraken even attacked! _What if I lost it? What if the Kraken ate it? What if it's floating at the bottom of the ocean? What if Davy Jones got it back?_

_Why am I asking all these questions?_

My eyes widened and I bolted into an upright position, my hands shooting to my chest to see if I could still feel the metal key. There was definitely something hard underneath my shirt, but I didn't allow myself to believe it was the key until I had pulled it out and held it in front of my face. Only then did relaxation truly find me.

"Oh thank God," I heavily sighed as I tapped the key on my forehead. By some miracle it had stayed with me, which was probably the most fortunate thing that had happened to me as of late. I openly laughed at my change of luck, "Perhaps we're meant to be together, little key. You and I, together until the Sun forever fades. Is that why you stayed with me? Because you sensed the bond we created in only a day's time?"

Well obviously the key wasn't about to say anything back to me. It was just an aged piece of metal. What did I expect? _Great, Evelyn, now you're speaking with inanimate objects. What are you going to do next?_

That question would remain unanswered because Will climbed back into the jaw at that moment. I dropped the key, to which it heavily plopped onto my chest, and sat up a bit straighter. "Did you learn anything?"

He nodded, "A little, though I was almost caught in the process."

"I told you to be careful!" I scolded with cross arms. He only looked away.

"Turns out we were not the only ones to survive the Kraken, aside from those in the longboat that is. There were five others, but Jones refused to let them live."

"So now we really are the sole survivors of the Kraken," I quietly mumbled, the shadowy figure of guilt filling every crevice of my mind. Will and I had caused the foul beast to attack. It wasn't fair that we were spared whereas the entire crew of the _Edinburgh Trader _was not.

"It appears to be that way," Will softly replied. A sad smile pulled at the corners of his lips, but he shook off the emotion and instead sat against a wooden board across from me.

My hand absentmindedly turned to the key, each finger drumming across the metal trinket as more depressing news sunk in. When this adventure started, I thought finding Jack would be easy. A week at most, and then Will and I would be back in Port Royal with that compass. Everything would be forgiven and he'd wed Elizabeth while I waited for the return of Whitaker. The end.

Did I particularly want that ending? Not really. It just involved the least amount of pain. My entire perspective of everything had changed ever since Will and I left Tortuga, even more so after boarding the _Dutchman _and meeting Will's father. He had-

"Bootstrap!" I nearly screamed, partially because I was angry with myself for forgetting about him. Will's attention immediately turned to me. "Did you see him? Is he well? The crew hasn't broken him too much, have they? Does he think we are… that we…" For some reason my final question was proving to be too difficult for me to say. I had to take a deep breath before continuing. "Does Bootstrap think we're dead?"

"I think he may, though I didn't see much of him. Some crewmen were taking him to the brig," Will admitted as he dug his shoe into the wood. "He'll probably realize we're still alive when Jones doesn't return the _Dutchman _to a normal schedule. Remember, we still have the key. Jones still thinks he's in danger."

"That's true…" I briefly looked at the key: the root problem of this whole adventure that still managed to hold all the hope. "And at least Bootstrap now has happier memories to fill his head as he slowly deteriorates into the ship."

"You didn't tell him we weren't engaged then?"

I shook my head and drew my knees to my chest, unable to look Will in the eye. "I couldn't. The thought of Bootstrap remaining on the _Flying Dutchman _for eternity pained me. And to leave him with the news that his only son was still in danger because he had yet to rescue his actual fiancée? He would only be more burdened. I would rather die than have him bear more troubles. I didn't want to hurt him… especially after he said he thought of me as a daughter." I covered my face with my hands, "I just couldn't do it."

Will sighed, "I didn't tell him either."

"Well I knew that…"

"You _knew _that? How?"

I dropped my hands to my knees, a harsh stare shaping my eyes. "You left me, Will. Remember? You kissed me right in front of your father and then just walked away. Oh course I knew you hadn't confessed to him!" Will ashamedly looked to his hands, as though he knew what I was about to say and needed to prepare himself. "And why is that? Why did you kiss me? Why when there was absolutely no reason to?"

He was silent for a moment. The only sound to be heard was the crashing of the waves and a few gusts of wind. But I was patient. I wanted to know his reasons… _needed _to know. At length he took in a deep breath, "I don't know."

"You don't know? Will, you must know. You're the one that first acted upon it." I was met with silence; a silence that only fueled my growing frustration. "Do you know how much this pains me? Oh, of course you do. We have the same views on nearly everything so this probably pains you just as much." Although Will still remained silent, he did turn towards me. "You are engaged to someone, Will. And somewhere there is a man roaming around the Caribbean who truly cares for me. Did you even think about them? … Or did you pretend I was Elizabeth?"

"Of course you were not Elizabeth."

"Then who, William Turner? Who was I? _What _was I?"

"You were yourself, Evelyn!" He quickly replied. He stared into my shocked features for a long time before shaking his head and directing his attention to the sky behind me. "You were Evelyn Pierce… the same girl I first met when she took refuge in the blacksmith shop; the girl who has somehow managed to stay by my side throughout every challenge and support my every decision. When we were with Bootstrap that final time though… I don't know." Now it was my turn to remain silent as he collected his thoughts. I simply couldn't form any words, though they were eventually able to find Will. "You looked at me that night with the same pain I felt, though I was unable to show it. But you weren't afraid to. You understood me, and I just forgot about everything else… I didn't mean to complicate things."

I repeatedly began to shake my head. "You complicated everything? No. So maybe the _Dutchman _did manage to turn everything around for us, but it's not as though you were alone. Don't forget, _I_ was the one who kissed you back. I too disregarded the rest of the world at that moment." Although I was slightly embarrassed by my confession, it was nothing compared to what Will had just said. I owed him more than just a simple confession. "If whatever we just went through has damaged your relationship with Elizabeth, then I'll go back to England. Once this madness ends I'll leave. I could write a note for-"

"No! You can't leave," Will cut me off with such intensity that he nearly shot to his feet. "Do not distance yourself because of one incident. I need you here! Without you, nothing feels right. Elizabeth will understand… I know she will."

His declaration made my heart pound loudly in my ears. In all honesty, I need him, and knowing he basically felt the same… I found it amazing but very difficult to believe. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Please don't ever think of yourself as a burden again." His eyes locked with mine and I was unable to look away, "Promise me you won't consider leaving."

I took a moment to trace his face with my eyes, making sure there was no doubt he secretly held. When I found none, my head began to spin… but it was a good dizzying feeling. "I promise."

Will visibly relaxed when I gave him my word. "Good. And I promise not to let something like that happen again."

Although I smiled back at him, inside I felt as though I had been stabbed in the heart with two thousand daggers. Why was I feeling this way? I knew what our futures held, and yet I was pained with the thought of never having the connection we had when we kissed. Why was I so upset? _Because you're not thinking properly, Evelyn. You need to commit to the promise you already had with Whitaker. _But what promise was that? I made none. All I knew was his affections for me. Although I did feel something towards him, I knew it wasn't love. Love was too strong a word to describe my feelings towards Whitaker.

_I really need to distract myself before I overthink and fall apart. _"Will, do you have any idea as to what we should do next? Jones is unaware of our presence, but there's no way we'd be able to depart without him noticing. What are we going to do?"

"We wait."

"Wait?"

"Yes, wait." Will smiled at my perplexed expression. It was then that I realized he confused me on purpose, so I crossed my arms and glared at him. This only caused his smile to grow. "I heard Jones shout orders to chart a course to Isla Cruces, and I bet that's where the chest is buried. So our only problem lies with determining how to quietly leave once we reach the island, but we can just figure that out when the time arises."

"So we're basically making this up as we go along?" Will answered my question with a solid nod, which only caused me to groan. "Great… Now we're thinking like Jack Sparrow."


	20. Secretive Truths

**I am on Spring Break this week and LOVING IT! My goal is to post twice this week along with one chapter of my LOTR story, but you know me. A lot of my updating goals are interrupted by life. So we'll see what happens xD But just in case, I've made this chapter the longest of any other chapters. So that way if I fail my goal, at least you'll all get a good chunk of a chapter.**

Dalonega Noquisi: _They ARE frustrating, aren't they?! And I'm the one that made them that way x_x Haha, I suppose that's a fail on my part._

M: _Or perhaps the kiss DID mean something O.o You'll see what I mean once you start reading, haha! And believe me; waiting a month to update is frustrating for me as well. School is just so draining and, well, you probably know what I'm talking about. BUT YOUR STORY! The fact that you're doing a legit book as opposed to a FanFiction got me even more enthusiastic. Again, I hope all goes well with you and this book!_

Afrika Sisi: _I have the moment all planned out, don't you worry. We just have to get Will beyond Elizabeth and, without saying too much, you will probably see it happening more clearly now that she's back in the picture. So no worries there! And I'm glad I was able to offer you something fresh for this website :)_

ariah23: _Glad to see you're back! And that you survived rereading the first story, haha xD_

tuttycute: _It's all right, I completely understand! I hope you'll remember things soon, but don't pressure yourself to do so or anything._

RenegadeVampireGirl:_ HAHA! Please do! That boy needs some sense knocked into him! By the way, I loved the flail xD_

**Thank you very much for all the reviews. Feel free to leave some more because, let's be honest, everyone loves reviews. Plus this chapter has some pretty interesting events in it (another brief deleted scene included), so I'm hoping that inspires you all to leave your thoughts.**

**I hope to see you all later this week! If not, happy reading anyways!**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

"_Down!"_

The call echoed through the air, strengthening in volume until it jolted me awake from a sleep I was unaware I had fallen into. My head knocked against something as it shot up. When I turned to see Will rubbing his cheek, I only became more confused. I didn't remember crawling to his side of the ship _or _falling asleep on his shoulder, which was probably why his head had rested on mine. As confusing as it was, it mattered little when compared to the alarming chorus of crewmembers from above.

I felt my brows furrow, "Do you have any idea what that was about?"

"No," he slowly replied as he stood. I nervously bit my lip while he walked to the front of the jaw. His boots splashed in a small pool of water, though I didn't understand how it formed there. It was of little concern to me though since the tip was against the ocean itself. Will, however, seemed to make some sort of connection because he hurried back to me. A panicked expression crossed his face as he extended his palm, "Evelyn, take my hand."

"Why? What's happening?" Although I questioned him, I took his hand and allowed him to help me up anyway. He pulled with such urgency that his strength had me stumbling into him. It was only then, as I stood beside him, that I felt the incline of the ship.

"We're about to be forced into the sea again." Will really didn't have to explain himself because as he spoke, water continued to flow through the ship's jaw. By the time he finished the sentence, the water was midway up my calves. "And quickly."

The ship steepened and the water rose by the second. Only minutes after Will had finished speaking the water had completely blocked out the entire front of the jaw with a thick layer of foam. Our only way out now rested through the opened top. My hold on Will's hand tightened as the water reached our chests, "Don't let go."

"I wasn't planning on it," he managed to say before time forced us to each take a deep breath and shut our eyes.

For a moment we were sucked towards the front of the jaw, but the foam of the crashing waves eventually pushed us through the top. My foot knocked against a piece of wood as the rising air bubbles tickled my skin. The two counteracting forces temporarily stretched out my shoulder because my hand was still interlocked with Will's lifting form, but our grip was tight. We refused to be separated. And once my foot passed the wood, there was only a few brief strokes until our heads broke through the water.

I spat salty water from my mouth and rubbed the excess water from my eyelids until I deemed it well enough to open them. Will was my first sight, and he appeared just as miserable as I felt. We pathetically stared at one another for a moment until my frustration got the best of me. "Great! Just when we're finally able to dry off a bit, fate forces us back into the water."

"I don't know what's worse," Will said with a small shake of his head, "being on the _Dutchman _and unable to help my father, or leaving the ship only to be cast out at sea."

I offered him a shrug, complete with an aggravated slap to the water. My thoughts matched his exactly. As happy as I was to _finally _be away from the cursed ship, I certainly hated being drenched and once more distanced from Bootstrap without any means of helping him. There was still no telling what Davy Jones would do to the poor man, especially since the cruel Captain knows Will and I are still alive.

_Davy Jones_. Simply the thought of him had me gasping. "Will! We've _left _the ship! Surely Jones saw our graceless ascent and will soon be upon us!"

"Not if we head for that island as quickly as possible." I looked back after he nodded to something behind me, not at all surprised to find the island he spoke of lying not too far from where we floated. He continued to speak as I scrutinized the sandy shores, "Besides, the foam from the waves probably covered our escape. Although I cannot say whether Jones has the ability to sense our presence in the sea."

"Oh… Is that Isla Cruces then?"

"Yes, or at least I'm assuming. The shape of it matches a drawing of Isla Cruces one of Elizabeth's books contained. The legend of the Island followed, though I never had enough time to read the story."

I spun back to meet his now distant-looking face because _I _knew the story of the island. It had been inside a book I managed to sneak into my childhood home one night while my mother was distracted with my drunken father. A church was built on the island, meaning to carry salvation to the area yet passing along disease instead. And where disease lied, death followed. A priest was said to reside in the church, which ultimately forced him to bury each and every body as it was brought to him. Eventually he was left alone on the island, the sole survivor of the disease. Insanity of isolation took hold of him until, in a state of madness, he hung himself within the bell tower. The story ended with the lore that the skeleton of the priest could still be seen hanging inside the church.

I never could decide whether I believed that part or not.

Either way now was not the time to ponder over such tales, especially since neither of us had even tried to move towards the island. So I shook myself back into reality, though it took me removing my hand from Will for his thoughts to focus once more. I smiled at him, "Shall we go then? Or would you rather stay in the ocean?"

Will replied with an amused smile before plunging into the water. With his long limbs and stronger body, he put a good distance between us before I even started to head for Isla Cruces. At least reaching this island proved to be a bit easier than when Will and I were forced to swim to that Cannibal Island. Since I had now been through manual labor, my muscles had gained strength. Never once did I fall farther behind Will, and I was actually able to reach the shores of the island without the waves pushing me in all sorts of directions. Only a short minute passed until I followed after Will onto the land.

_Well that was a lovely swim. _I smiled to myself despite the strong wind snapping my dampened undershirt around. But then I became aware of how weak the swim momentarily made my knees when a harsh wave hurled against them, sending me straight to the ground. I felt my cheeks grow hot as I wiped sand from my face. _Well this is embarrassing._

My only consolation to the matter was that Will had been facing the other direction when I fell. Though once I opened my eyes to his hand and a smiling face attached, my hope at secrecy faded. I not-so-happily allowed him to pull me up for the second time that day. "Is there a chance we can pretend that never happened?"

"There is a chance, but I'm not going to take it." Will's eyes twinkled with laughter as he answered, which made playfully pushing him away all the more enjoyable.

"Well I _suppose _I should thank you anyway," I scoffed as I brushed more sand from my clothes. I was about to explain my case further, so as to convince him to forget, when something behind him caught my eye. Four figures were huddled together as though they were looking down at something. One of them was clearly Jack; his absurd appearance was easily detectable even from behind. I was not really interested in the two other men because all my focus lied with the woman figure… meaning she had to be Elizabeth. I mean, who else would it be? Her brown hair practically reflected as gold under the sunlight, and I was truly surprised Will hadn't noticed her yet.

"Evelyn, is something wrong?" His voice entered my trance, but I refused to meet his gaze. Despite all the hell we'd gone through, I had enjoyed my time with Will. I just never realized how much until I knew it would be broken with a single turn of his body.

"No, but…" I bit my lip to silence myself, allowing the final seconds of our separate adventure to linger a few moments longer. Will had to see her though. She was, after all, his fiancée and the motivation behind everything we'd done. "If you were to spin around… you'd see Elizabeth."

I forced my eyes to snap back to Will's, though I nearly cringed when I saw the lightness spreading across his face. I couldn't figure out why I became so upset by the action though. Seeing Will happy made me happy, and I liked Elizabeth. We nearly became friends before Beckett pulled me from the prisons in Port Royal. _So why the sudden recoil?_

He spun around to look at her; as though he were making sure what I saw was true. I couldn't blame him for not taking my word. I'd be in disbelief too. When Will looked to me again, the largest smile I'd seen on his face for some time shined down to me. "Come on, Evelyn! We must hurry to meet her."

The words had barely left his mouth before he hastily walked towards the small group. He was far too excited to wait for me, which was quite all right by me. I was less-than-thrilled with my discovery and so wished to walk at a slower pace than him. Either way we'd both reach Elizabeth. So why not take the time to enjoy the weather… or something?

Although I was farther back when in comparison, I was still able to make out the voices of those that spoke from the small group: _"You actually were telling the truth."_

"_I do that quite a lot, yet people are always surprised."_

The first voice was deep and sounded very familiar, but it was the second voice that had me huffing. It had been Jack, and his comment was highly controversial in my opinion. He did tell the truth, though it was only produced after a long line of deception and betrayal. Not exactly the greatest way to make a living.

By now Will was standing only a few feet behind the group. Although I was still farther back, I could practically hear the mocking smile flash across his face as he spoke words similar to my thoughts: "With good reason!"

All heads turned upon hearing his voice, though the only face I took note of as I rounded behind Will was Elizabeth. Her eyes were large from shock and her face visually drained the concern she'd held for so long. I noticed her lips formed Will's name in a sigh, but the sound of her feet brushing against the sand drowned it out. She ran directly into his arms, "You're all right! Thank God! I came to find you!"

For a moment they embraced, but it didn't take long before they sealed their passion with a kiss. I knew it would happen, seeing as they had been separated for so long, but even with my knowledge I was unexpectedly hurt. But why? They were engaged! It was only natural for a happy couple to express their love. So why was I so wounded? I couldn't even look at them because the pain in my heart was too great. Therefore I looked to Jack, who seemed just as misplaced as I was.

His eyes darted around those assembled until he noticed me staring at him. He sympathetically shrugged, but his eyebrows quickly rose before his shoulders fell. A cheeky grin overtook Jack's face and his eyes began to dart once more. Except this time they only went from me to the scene of Will and Elizabeth on my left.

I didn't know what to make of this sudden change in Jack's face and so continued to stare at him, though this time it was through narrowed eyes. The pirate didn't seem to enjoy my confusion and responded by sternly locking eyes with me and nodding his head for me to actually look at what he was referring to. Although I was hesitant to comply, I did as Jack silently suggest for fear of him making his point even more obvious. Upon turning, I couldn't figure out how I felt about with I saw.

Will and Elizabeth still stood by one another, but it was at arm's length apart; Will's arms, to be exact. His hands rested upon his excited fiancée's shoulders with a face not quite matching hers. In fact, it was the entire opposite. He appeared confused, guilt-ridden almost. There was an unreadable thought haunting his mind. The longer he traced Elizabeth's face, the more complex his own face became. Then when Will suddenly turned and locked eyes with me, I could swear I saw a flash of hope cross his gaze.

My head began to spin and actually focusing on one thought became impossible. _Why is he looking at me? He's finally reunited with Elizabeth, and yet he's looking to me. Why? Why is he holding her so far back? Why is his face so complex? What could he possibly be thinking? Elizabeth is standing right in front of him! So why is he still staring? He must stop! She's going to notice! She's a smart woman! What does he think will happen if he continues to stare?_

Well Elizabeth _did _notice Will's stare, though I didn't expect her reaction upon following his gaze: a large smile spread across her face and she quickly parted from Will to run towards me.

"Oh, Evelyn! It's so good to see you too!" Within one surprising second her arms wrapped around me in an embrace. I stood wide-eyed for a moment, not knowing exactly what to do under the situation, before slowly wrapping my arms around her too, returning the embrace. "I was so worried! No one would tell me where you'd gone off to. It wasn't until I found Jack that I learned you were safely with Will."

The embrace was strange for me, but not nearly as uncomfortable as when it was my turn to return my concern over her wellbeing. "I'm very glad to see you too… Elizabeth. Will and I worried about you often. It was… _very_ strange not having you traveling along with us."

"Beckett forced me to remain locked up inside the prison. It was my father who aided my escape," she explained upon stepping back. Her eyes clouded over upon mentioning her father, though it cleared up as another smile crossed her face. "Evelyn, you've failed to notice someone else in our party."

"Elizabeth, what are you talking about?" I asked despite knowing she was referring to the men I had mentally disregarded. In all reality, I couldn't care less who they were at the moment.

The young woman said nothing. She merely giggled before turning me around to face the other two men. Right away I noticed a disheveled man wearing a tainted blue uniform. Although I was used to the man wearing a bright white wig rather than his tangled brown hair, I knew the man was none other than former Commodore James Norrington. Surely this wasn't whom Elizabeth wanted me to notice though, so I looked to the next man.

… I was not at all prepared to see Whitaker standing there.

I was too stunned to move, though I did hear Elizabeth's feet shuffle back to Will. The man with the washed-out red uniform stared back at me with longing, expectant hazel eyes. And even then I couldn't move. By now he felt like a ghost to me. Too long had it been since I saw him last in Port Royal. Then the flash I saw of him in Tortuga I wrote off as a hallucination, although now it was clear the situation had been real. What did he expect me to do? Run into his arms just as Elizabeth had done with Will? We had been separated for far longer than they had. Sprinting right for him simply didn't make sense in my mind, just as walking towards him was stayed by the inability of my legs to move. So after a long moment of everyone observing the two of us silently stare at one another, Whitaker decided to jog towards me. If he said anything to me along the way, I failed to comprehend it.

When he reached me, he proceeded to give me the biggest hug I've ever been a part of in my life. I remained tense and silent throughout. I was truly happy to see him, despite what my appearance may read as to the others. His embrace just didn't feel right, and I was still too shocked to fully grasp what exactly was going on. However, my mind became fully alert when Whitaker moved from a tight embrace to firmly planting a kiss upon my lips.

The force of it had me leaning back slightly, though my body became stiff and my eyes widened. The last thing I expected was to have salty, chapped lips pressed against mine from a man I hadn't seen for months. I still cared for him, but I couldn't exactly say I felt the same way as I once had. He was practically foreign to me now.

My eyes somehow—for some reason—traveled to Will and Elizabeth in the brief seconds of my emotionless kiss with Whitaker. Although Elizabeth happily beamed in my direction, Will appeared not so thrilled. His brows were furrowed and his lips set in a straight line. He almost appeared _angry _with what he saw, though I could not say for certain. I would have liked to further analyze Will's sudden shift in behavior, but Whitaker finally pulling away took my mind elsewhere. He helped me to straighten myself up, and I politely smiled up at him.

"I'm very happy to finally see you again, Evelyn. Ever since leaving Port Royal, all I've wanted to do was sail back to you." Whitaker returned my smile, although his was much more convincing than mine was. Just as Will had with Elizabeth, he had both hands placed atop my shoulders. He held me closer, though, and appeared far less confused than Will had. "I can't exactly say I'm glad to see you dressed as a pirate though…" His face fell into disgust as he looked at my attire. "You're probably thinking just the same with me too. Where have we fallen to, Evelyn dear?"

"I've missed you too, Whitaker," I hesitantly chuckled despite the truth behind my words. _I see his view on pirates has not changed… _"I can't exactly say I agree with you when discussing our current position though."

His face morphed into a mask of confusion as my words processed in his head. Before he could say anything though, Jack spoke up: "How did you two get here?"

"Sea turtles, mate," Will explained. I took the opportunity to take a step away from Whitaker. "Two pairs of them, strapped to our feet."

"Not so easy, is it?" Jack's nose scrunched as he spoke, which only forced an eye roll from me.

"Oh please, you make it seem difficult," I mumbled into the forming glower of Jack. At length I returned his glower with a warning glance, "And don't even get me started on the details."

The pirate looked as though he were about to retort something back at me, but Will stepped in before any arguments could start between us. He probably knew I had a list of complaints for Jack, but even Will wouldn't be able to hold them off for long. "But I do owe you thanks, Jack."

Saying the pirate was confused by this comment would be an understatement. "You do?"

"After you tricked not only me but Evelyn as well onto that _ship_ to square your debt with Jones…"

"What?"

"_What_?"

"What?"

The three questions stumbled after one another. First was Elizabeth, who managed to catch her breath after gaping for some time between me and Will. Her voice was high pitched from the unexpected news, which then prompted Jack to imitate her voice before diverting his eyes. The voice of Whitaker finished out the three. He had grown tense from Will's explanation, and I noticed his now clenched hands shook with, I assume, rage. I attempted to calm him by lightly placing a hand on his arm, but he flinched away.

"… I was reunited with my father," Will continued despite the brief interruption.

"Oh, well… you're welcome, then." Jack almost seemed pleased now that he knew of the benefits his devious plan brought. He even turned his smile to me and winked, "And what about you, Evelyn? Anything _exciting_ happen?"

I gritted my teeth. "Do not think for one second that I didn't figure out your bloody plan, Jack Sparrow. You tricked both of us aboard that vessel! If you even knew of _half _the turmoil you put us through, I doubt you'd be able to live with yourself. You are a coward."

"_Coward_?" The pirate nearly yelled, clearly offended. "I don't believe 'coward' is the best of words to describe me plan, love. I'd say something more along the lines of… multitasking."

"So forcibly sending away two people onto a dangerous ship that could very well lead to their deaths without said people knowing of the peril they were shoved into is referred to as 'multitasking' to you?" My arms crossed my chest as I spoke, with my brows rising once my sentence finished. Jack seemed to have an answer to my question, but I refused to let him speak. "Because I would describe that as ridiculous, selfish, pathetic, and completely heartless."

Again he made to answer, but this time it was Elizabeth who cut him off. Just by looking at her I could tell she was fuming with rage. "Everything you said to me… every word was a lie!"

"… Pretty much." Jack swayed as he responded. "Time and tide, love."

"You _purposefully _sent her over there?" Whitaker then added, threateningly stepping towards Jack. The pirate knew how much more intimidating Whitaker was in comparison to Elizabeth and took a small step back. Norrington also picked up on Whitaker's behavior and reached out to grab the man by the shoulder to stop him. That couldn't stop the heated words from spilling through his mouth though.

Elizabeth's own protests eventually combined with Whitaker's, though I easily drowned out their voices once Will slid towards me. He lightly touched my wrist before whispering into my ear: "Give me the key."

"Why?" My continued anger with Jack made my question seem like hiss as I clutched the key, but Will didn't seem to care much about my tone.

"I don't know whether you've noticed the chest or not…" my eyes momentarily latched onto the giant trunk lying a few feet from where we stood, "… but now would be an opportune time to stab the heart and free my father."

"Didn't that Wyvern character on the _Dutchman _say _not _to stab the heart?"

"Yes, but he was also delusional from becoming part of the ship. Half of what he said was spoken in mad riddles."

"Yet they were words nonetheless," I warned before finally sliding my vision to Will. He awaited my glance with remorseful, determined, yet hopeful eyes. Those mixtures of emotions added to the widened innocence of his face only made denying him more difficult. So I sighed and proceeded to hand the key over to him, "Fine, so long as it's done for Bootstrap."

Will quickly snatched up the key before I could change my mind, though he did appear apologetic after doing so. I just shrugged off his action and followed him over to the chest. He unsheathed his dagger and kneeled before the mysterious box, ready to be rid of the whole mess. I nervously stood behind, praying that fortune would hold him in its favor.

Except the small noise from the dagger as it escaped its casing alerted the attention of one greedy pirate. He glared down at Will. "Oi!" His call silenced the still bickering Whitaker and Elizabeth, directing their attention to Will as well. "What are you doing?"

Will spun the front of the chest towards him. "I'm going to kill Jones."

"Can't let you do that, William." Jack's sword was out in a flash with the sharpened tip pointed directly at Will's throat. My breath caught for a moment until I remembered I also had a weapon. I began to slowly reach for it, but a sidelong glance from Will told me not to. I wanted to ignore his silent instructions but Will began to ever-so-slightly shake his head, so I knew I should probably follow through with his absurd commands. It was with much regret that I forced my hand to travel elsewhere and allow Jack to have his dominance over the situation. "'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?"

A tense silence filled the air as Will contemplated which course to take. He didn't sneak in any more glances with me, and that only made me more anxious. I couldn't tell what he was thinking! And this only led me to apprehensively chew on my bottom lip. My nervous didn't falter even when Will stood and backed away from the chest because Jack still had his blade out. "Now, if you please…The key."

I expected Will to do something rash. I really did. But I was _not _anticipating him reaching across his body to whip out the sword Elizabeth carried. I would have taken my sword out right after him, had he not purposely pushed Elizabeth into me. It looked as though he was trying to protect her, which he probably was, but Will had already not wanted me to draw my sword. He didn't want me to get involved. _Or perhaps I'm missing something…_ "I keep the promises I make, Jack. I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it."

"I can't let you do that either!" Norrington called with _his _weapon now pointed at Will. "So sorry."

_Two against one… not good. _I thought. _Perhaps Will would understand if I produced my weapon now?_

Before I could reach for my sword though, Jack dropped his blade and smiled at Norrington. "I knew you'd warm up to me eventually."

He wore a smug smile upon seeing a former enemy come to his defense, though it was quickly washed off when Norrington's weapon swiftly slid to him. Will's sword moved from Jack to Norrington at the exact same time, and Jack, after a moment of disbelief from the turn of events, then pointed his weapon back at Will to finish their triangle of weapons. I did not at all like where this was going.

"Lord Beckett desires the content of that chest." Norrington continued, much to my confusion. _I thought he wanted Jack's compass… _"I deliver it, I get my life back."

"You're all acting like complete fools," I sighed from the sidelines. All eyes turned to me as I shook my head. _Men!_ "Is there a reason as to why you cannot simply share the heart? Use it as leverage to call off both the Kraken _and _free Bootstrap before handing the darn thing off to James so he can get back his former life?"

_Although I am completely against allowing Beckett to have the heart. _I decided it would be best not to voice my inner thought so as to end the madness as quickly as possible.

"No, we really can't do that." Jack replied as he rapidly shook his head.

"Any why not?"

"Ah! Because _some people _prefer to follow the dark side of ambition," he said with direct eye contact with Norrington. A small smile crossed his face as he mocked the former Commodore.

And Norrington wasted no time in returning that smile. "Oh, I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption."

There was another glance shared, though it was not amongst Norrington and Jack. Instead, I noticed the former Commodore's eyes jump above Jack's head to lock with Whitaker's. The two men shared a smirk. For a moment the man I knew disappeared inside that darkened smile, but I had little time to ponder over the transition because Norrington suddenly cried out and swung his sword at Will.

I confess, Norrington's initial strike had admitted a small yelp to escape me, though it was only because I wasn't entirely prepared for their duel to begin. That was the only time I screamed though. By now I had seen far more terrifying things in the world and knew Will was perfectly able to take care of himself. Elizabeth, on the other hand, would occasionally scream throughout the small skirmish as though her shrieks would make them stop fighting. I liked her determination, but anyone could see that the matter amongst the three men could not be solved by a bystander. Whitaker seemed to understand this since he made no further move. He simply stood back, and eventually my vision of him left because my eyes followed after Will as he ducked between Jack and Norrington.

He rounded to the other side of the chest before stopping to face them once more. Elizabeth took a few short steps after them, still squealing for them to stop, and I followed after her. _I'd rather be with her than alone with Whitaker…_ I found myself guiltily thinking.

After Will threw Norrington to the other side of him, the former Commodore spun around and forced all three swords to angle up at a standstill. Jack took the opportunity to desperately look at Will, "We cannot let him get the chest, trust me on this." Will and Norrington looked to the pirate with confusion, and I'm sure my own gaping mouth matched their emotion. The pirate sighed, "You can mistrust me less than you can mistrust him, _trust _me."

I silently scoffed from behind and whispered my thoughts to Elizabeth, "_Last time _I trusted Jack Sparrow I found myself unconscious aboard the _Flying Dutchman_."

She looked to me as if she were appalled for me by Jack's actions, though she said nothing. Only Norrington's voice broke our shared stare. "He just wants Elizabeth for himself."

I felt my brows furrow at the statement, though Elizabeth did little to deny his claim. A guilty smile descended upon her lips and she lightly shook her shoulders. I said nothing though. She may have done whatever was necessary to survive just as Will and I had done, and there was nothing wrong with that. There were many secrets floating around the island, and I had a sickening feeling Jack knew the truth behind every one.

"Pot. Kettle. Black." Jack accused right before Norrington allowed the three-way-duel to continue. The pirate wasted no time in ducking below Will and Norrington's swings, stealing the key, and promptly running away. This left Norrington and Will to duel amongst themselves, but Norrington seemed far more interested in the escaped pirate to deal with Will. So he kicked Will into the sand and ran after Jack.

Elizabeth and I instantly sprinted to our fallen companion. We were probably equally concerned with his wellbeing, but I allowed Elizabeth to be the one to dive down to her knees to be with him. For practical reasons, of course.

Will's eyes darted between the two of us before latching onto my eyes. "Guard the chest!" He then stood and began to head for Norrington and Jack, but not before looking back at me one final time. "That's why I didn't want you taking out your sword!"

I would lie if I said I wasn't initially offended by the demeaning task Will wanted me to carry out with Elizabeth. However, after learning that Will actually trusted me with overseeing the task carried out, the plan fell more in my favor. By leaving me with my weapon, I became the more important one. Will knew I could take care of everything. This was why I complied with his proposal with a shrug and began to turn back towards the chest.

It was Elizabeth who put my actions on hold. "No!" She cried out after her fiancé, which nearly caused my hand to frustratingly slam into my face. Obviously she hadn't grasped the revelation I had with Will's instructions; therefore she failed to see the importance of guarding the chest. When Elizabeth took off after Will, I followed after her. I had to at least _try _to make her understand. "This is barbaric!"

"Elizabeth, you're drawing this out far too much."

She ignored me. "This is _no way_ for grown men to settle…"

The men ignored her. She was so shocked by this that her own sentence caught in her throat.

"That may be true, Elizabeth, but we both know Will can handle himself. Why else do you think James and Jack were each trying to get him on their side a few moments ago?" I placed a hand on her shoulder, but she simply forced herself free. "You need to calm down!"

"No! _You _need to help me, Evelyn! Can you not see how absurd their actions are?" She snapped before her attention fell to the fighting men again. She sharply took a breath, "_Oh fine_! Let's just… _haul_ out our swords and start _banging_ away at each other! _That will solve everything_! I've had it!"

_And I've had it with you! _I huffed after Elizabeth before heading back towards the chest. At this point I didn't care whether she was Will's fiancée or not. She was being senseless. Besides, I had been assigned a task and I planned on following through with it! … Even if said task involved uncomfortably standing alone with Whitaker.

I could still hear Elizabeth's shouts as I climbed the slight hill towards the chest. _"I've had it with wobbly-legged, rum-soaked… pirates!"_

She fell silent with only the occasional shout of exasperation being heard every few seconds. Curiosity got the best of me once I stood where the chest was, so I spun back to see what on earth Elizabeth was doing. When I saw her desperately throwing rocks at the three men, and those rocks hardly even reaching them, I sighed and shook my head. _We both know you're better than this, Elizabeth._

Nonetheless, her mind was her own and I had other matters to attend to. So I forced on a smile and turned to the chest. Whitaker's back completely blocked off my view of the little box, but I didn't need to necessarily see it to know the chest was still there. Still, guarding something is better if I can actually keep my eye on it. "Apparently we're the only ones left on Isla Cruces that has any form of sense left. So I suppose we'll just have to guard the chest together. Am I correct, Whitaker?"

"Not necessarily…" he mumbled before turning around. Seeing the chest clutched within his hands and the darkened smirk still resting across his face was enough to turn my blood cold. "I have another agenda I intend on following through with."

"Whitaker… drop the chest," I warned as my hand slowly slid to the hilt of my sword.

"If you insist." He cheekily shrugged before plopping the chest into the sand and placing his foot atop the lid. He leaned forward to relax his hands across his knee. "You see, Evelyn dear, Commodore Norrington and I made a plan: while he's distracting everyone, I'll take the chest. We'd meet up at the boat and together relish in the reward bestowed to us by Lord Cutler Beckett. Pretty simple. Meeting up with you again has put a minor setback in our plan, but I'm sure the Commodore won't mind too terribly if you came along. There's definitely enough room in the boat for one more."

"Don't assume I will so willingly follow you, Whitaker."

His face fell, but the smirk never once faltered. "What… why not? Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

"If you think this plan of yours is what I want, you don't know me at all," I spat through narrowed eyes. "You would have me betray _my friends _for the sake of Lord Beckett? Do you not understand what that vile, cruel, downright evil man is capable of? Of what is wicked ways are trying to do with the world?"

"_Never _say another foul word about Lord Beckett _ever _again! Do you understand me?" Whitaker warned. His body nearly shook with rage as his eyes bore holes into my skull. I glared right back at him.

"And _you _mustn't talk to me as though I were but a child!" I shouted back at him before finally drawing my sword and pointing it directly at his face. "If you step away from the chest now, I'll forget this ever happened. You can go on living in everyone's favor."

Whitaker seemed not to heed my bargain. Actually, he had been suppressing laughter from the moment I took out my blade. Once I finished my sentence, he could no longer contain the chuckles from surpassing his lips. It took all my might to simply stand there with an impassive expression.

"Evelyn, what on earth are you doing? Put that away! You can't yield a sword!" His mocking chortles were cut short when I took a threatening step towards him, the tip of my blade floating inches from his neck. He loudly gulped, but quickly regained his composure and batted my sword away. He sighed as he took out his own weapon, "Well if you insist. I should warn you, though, that I was trained by Commodore James Norrington himself."

"And I was trained by William Turner," I smirked as I adjusted my stance, "with just a hint of Jack Sparrow thrown in there."

"Pirates _and_ Turner! I should have known," Whitaker literally spat at my feet. I blinked up at him. "You could have lived a simple life, Evelyn: one where you'd be safe and looked after just as any other proper English woman ought to be. Instead you've allowed the likes of William Turner to drag you down into the pit of piracy. Now you're no better than the rest of them, you filthy little-"

Whitaker was unable to finish his vile little comment because I cut him off with a vicious charge and a swipe of my sword. He was greatly surprised by my attack, but was able to fend me off nonetheless. My onslaught didn't end there either. I was too angry with him to allow a moment of rest to pass for him. He had insulted me, insulted Will, and attempted to control both my thoughts and actions. I was officially through with him. All the months of waiting for him, missing him, and constantly allowing my mind to simply settle with him were gone. They felt entirely useless to me now, but I was not saddened by it. I actually felt freedom from mentally removing him from my life. I no longer had to think of the handsome man dueling with me whenever I partook in something. He was no longer a concern of mine.

Thankfully my mind sorted all that out _before_ our duel began to heat up because the curses he uttered would have been enough to break my heart, except now they only fueled my ever growing irritation with him. A small cut to his arm gave me the fleeting feeling satisfaction, for that wound was not nearly as deep as his harsh words, but the feeling didn't last long. Just as I was growing angrier with him, Whitaker was becoming for infuriated with me. He fought back hard, swinging with such force that my blocks would only allow my body to be pushed around. He even attempted to kick sand into my face! Fortunately his attempts were unsuccessful. The closest he got was when one of his blows had me stumbling to the side, allowing my face to draw closer to the dirt.

Where Whitaker was stronger, I was swifter. When I noticed he purposefully used his strength just to push me around, I began to simply dodge with my body. On a high swing I would duck, a low swipe I'd move back, and a vertical shot I would round behind him. In this way I was able to wear him out, though the only evidence he gave of that was his deepening breath and the beads of perspiration forming below his dark sandy hair. I began to show similar signs, but I was just as stubborn about backing down.

Not until he blocked an aggressive vertical swing of mine were we trapped at a standstill. Our swords were both lifted above our heads, with mine being the one still pushing against his, and our reddened faces were inches apart. I could feel the heat of each of his deep breaths upon my skin, even more so when he began to speak. "I admit, I'm surprised by your skill, though that does not make you any less disposable than any other lowlife pirate."

"Does it, Whitaker? Does the fact that you've finally discovered who I truly am make me so '_disposable_'to you?" I asked with my eyes looking directly into his. He stared back, and despite the lack of emotion lingering there, I did pick up a brief flash of hesitation. "And I wouldn't necessarily call myself a pirate. I am merely a victim of Lord Beckett."

Whatever sympathy I had granted him instantly changed to more hatred. "Lord Beckett is a great man! He's done nothing but rid the world of the evils tainting its waters. It would be best if you showed him the respect he deserves and-"

_Thunk! _The small pounding sound was loud enough to grab both of our attentions. In unison our heads snapepd back to where we'd left the chest, only to find Pintel and Ragetti standing there. They were focused on the chest lying on its side in the dirt, but eventually turned a cautious eye towards us. They had probably realized we were monitoring them when the clashing of swords and words had stopped.

Ragetti uncomfortably waved at us, a guilty smile flickering onto his face. Pintel, on the other hand, was not so friendly. He glared at our paused forms before hitting his friend across the chest. "Well don't just stand there! We have to remove the temptation before they fall on its path too!"

"Right!" The one-eyed pirate answered with a solid nod before picking up one of the chest's handles. Pintel quickly grabbed the other one, and together they ran back down the small hill to where Elizabeth, for some unknown reason, was lying on the ground.

At first Whitaker and I did nothing; we didn't move a single muscle. I was pondering over what had just occurred. In all honesty, I didn't quite believe what my eyes just saw. So I spun back to Whitaker with a face I hoped read _"Did you just see that too?"_ which apparently he did because after a moment of confusingly staring into my eyes, he suddenly took off after the pair. He crazily swung his sword about like a madman and cried out: "In the name of England, our gracious King, and the humble Lord Cutler Beckett, I _demand _you hand over that chest immediately!"

I stared after his ridiculous form, my head slowly shaking as I sheathed my sword. "Such a fool Whitaker is making himself seem."

_Or am I the fool? _I was simply standing there, watching three men run off with Davy Jones's chest while another set of three men fought for the key to open it. _I should be doing something!_

With this in mind I sprinted straight for Elizabeth, who was now sitting up in the dirt as opposed to lying down. A small pout was firmly planted on her lips, but other than that she appeared unaware of what happened with the chest. But I needed her help.

"Elizabeth! Now is not the time for sitting, we must move!" I shouted as I ran towards her, grabbing her arm and forcing her to run along with me.

She easily complied without pausing for an explanation. Perhaps she had understood my tone and decided it would be best to have me explain as we ran. "What about the chest? I thought you went back to guard it."

"I did! But I became distracted by Whitaker when he revealed that he and Norrington had a plan to take the chest. So while I was fighting him off, Pintel and Ragetti snuck in and stole the chest. They ran off and Whitaker was quick to follow."

"Well we certainly can't have either of them taking the chest," she firmly stated once she was all caught up. I answered her with a solid nod, too exhausted to do much else—fighting off a stronger opponent before immediately running as fast as my legs could carry was definitely taking its toll on me. Elizabeth noticed my drained features, and so grabbed my hand and took the lead. The three men were not too far away from us, so following after them wouldn't be too difficult. Even if they were about to be covered by a layer trees.


	21. Isla Cruces

**So obviously I didn't get this out within the same week of my last chapter… or month. Why? School. I was assigned six presentations, three big essays, a portfolio, and four exams that all had to be completed in one month. Combine that with the ups (many ups for this month, actually) and downs of my life and you get… STRESS OVERLOAD! But now that's all done and I'm on summer break. Yippee! So I'll let you all have another long chapter as both repentance and reward.**

**ANYWAY, this story is somewhat-ish almost over; probably about four or so more chapters remaining, counting this one. When this story is complete I will definitely have an installment for the third movie. I mean, what kind of person would I be if I left you all hanging?**

Dalonega Noquisi: _Haha, I'm glad you liked the line! Because it's probably one of my favorites as well! It popped into my head as I was writing and I thought: "Evelyn needs to show some sass." So that's how that got there._

M: _Oh Whitaker. He's lost and confused. At least his ties have officially been broken with Evelyn! Sometimes I question why I made him up, but then I'm like: "Nah, he belongs here… even if he is a Beckett minion." And thus Whitaker Davis lives on! Haha! And terribly sorry for such a long wait. Thanks for checking up on me though!_

Ruby: _Hello again! I'm so glad I was able to introduce you to the awesomeness of Imagine Dragons. They are seriously my all-time favorite band. I saw them in concert two months ago and died. Just died. I'm still flipping out about it xD If you get the chance, I highly recommend you go to one. It was the best concert I've ever been to._

itsjustm3: _Oh goodness your review made my day! I'm glad you were able to bear through my earlier, still unedited writings, and I'm sorry for accidentally putting our life on hold. Heh. Tell your mother I'm sorry xD BUT ANYWAY. I'm happy you were entertained nonetheless! Feel free to release your "inner barbarian" whenever you wish, especially with Whitaker because, let's be honest, he is quite condescending. He's very full of himself. So he definitely deserved Evelyn's wrath, haha! Oh, I see you've also noticed Jack's shippery (I really hope that becomes a word someday) of Evelyn and Will. Yeah, that's just how he rolls. And don't you worry; there will be a final installment (as I said above). I have the spoiler bit all planned out and I'm hoping it will leave you and the other readers satisfied. There are only a few bugs I have to work out, but that's for future me to figure out. Thank you so much for reviewing! I hope you further enjoy the adventures of Evelyn and Will!_

**Thanks again to all of you who reviewed! Each letter means so much! That may sound a bit cheesy, but it's true. So please, by all means, feel free to keep them coming. Happy Reading!**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

A bell began to chime shortly after Elizabeth and I passed through the line of trees. I assumed they came from the church probably lying in ruins somewhere on the island, but how they began to ring I did not know. Nor did I care, actually. Each chime felt as though it shook my bones, pounded through my ears and straight to my jumbled mind. I was beyond exhausted at this point and desperately needed to stop, if only for a moment.

I tried to ignore the temptation to rest, but the continuous ringing only made the urge more inviting. When I could no longer push aside my thoughts I abruptly stopped and forcibly pulled my hand from Elizabeth's grasp. I gasped deeply, placing my hands upon my shaking knees. Only when I noticed the sound of Elizabeth's heavy breathing joining mine did I turn my gaze from the grass to her face. She didn't exactly appear pleased. Her narrowed eyes spoke to me before words even left her lips.

"Evelyn, what are you doing? They're getting away!" Her hands motioned to the trail ahead where the forms of Pintel, Ragetti, and Whitaker were slowly disappearing down.

I momentarily glared up at her, allowing a few seconds to pass so I could catch my breath. "Oh let Whitaker take care of the pirates. He loathes them anyway. We'll just challenge him later."

"Two against one? I know you don't approve of such situations, even if they are in your favor." Elizabeth shook her head with a sigh. "Why are you giving in so easily? You've defeated cursed pirates, survived both Tortuga and some sort of Cannibal Island Jack referred to, and returned to the living after serving aboard the _Flying Dutchman_. Surely there is some strength left within you to take back the chest and help Will."

_Will_. My chest nearly flew from me at the mention of his name and I felt my eyes widen, though I prayed Elizabeth hadn't noticed such an obvious reaction. Of course I wanted to help him take back the chest! Helping him would ultimately free Bootstrap, something I myself wanted to see occur. Both father and son were honorable men that deserved a life free of any burdens. As I thought about helping the Turners though, my mind latched onto Will. More specifically: his expressions as of late. There was really no reason for him to have appeared so upset when Whitaker kissed me, especially since he had been reunited with Elizabeth moments before.

_Well I never did shut my eyes. Perhaps he mistook my unexpected, uncomfortable expression for distress and thought he could help… _I felt my nose wrinkle at my evading thoughts. _Oh of course that's not it! By now Will is fully aware of my strength. Besides, his face was far too powerful for the meaning to be something that simple. _

Despite my confusion, I couldn't help but feel a bit… lighthearted. I couldn't necessarily explain how the feeling arose or why it did, but I easily welcomed the warm sensation nonetheless. The last time such an emotion passed through me, shockingly enough, was on the _Flying Dutchman_… after Will had unexpectedly kissed me…

"And therefore take them by surprise," Elizabeth explained, drawing my attention away from my thoughts. She expectantly looked at me through shining eyes, but I could only gaze back at her with embarrassment. I had not comprehended a single word she might have said prior to that final sentence.

"Beg pardon?"

"All three men are running at a slight angle," she sighed, motioning after the men again. I was pleased to notice only a small amount of displeasure in her face at having to explain herself once more. She then pointed into a different direction. "So if we go this way, we'll eventually intersect them and therefore take them by surprise."

I looked from Elizabeth's pointed figure to the path she was suggesting, frowning when I noticed the distance I allowed the three men to gain on us. "We'll have to run rather fast in order to do so."

She nodded with a soft smile. We both knew their distance was my fault. I was thankful to Elizabeth for not saying such aloud, but simply standing in silence wasn't helping our situation in the slightest. I sighed. "Then what are we waiting for?"

We shared a nod before running in Elizabeth's new direction. I allowed her to take the lead again, figuring she understood the new plan more than I did since she was the one who thought it up. We pushed ourselves to our limits as we ran, to a point where I no longer felt exhaustion. I was filled with such determination that my weariness held little effect on me. However, it was quick to return once Elizabeth slowed down to scour our new area and duck behind a tree.

Although confused, I did the same to the tree directly beside her. I expected her to explain _why _we were now hiding, but she frustratingly didn't do so. Rather than meet my eyes, she peeked around the side of the tree. I tried my best to sound content when I addressed her. "Elizabeth, what exactly are we doing?"

She quickly spun back to me with a pointed finger firmly placed upon her lips, the universal sign to be silent. As a reaction I bit my lip, which seemed to draw some sympathy from her because she muttered: "We passed by them a few moments ago… Listen."

Shutting my eyes, I strained my ears to see what noises I could pick up. Sure enough, the bragging of Pintel was quickly detected: _"We got it! We got it! We got it!"_ He giggled amongst the chuckles of his friend and the absurd proclamations of Whitaker, who didn't sound too far behind the pair. His glorification of Beckett and bitter cursing of how vile pirates were could easily be detected by my ears. I bet he appeared as deranged as he sounded.

Pintel and Ragetti didn't sound as though they cared much for their pursuer though. In fact, the only time they acted fearful of being caught was when Elizabeth nodded for us to emerge from our hiding spot and we glided into their path. All three men stopped in their tracks to simply stare at us, but all Elizabeth and I could do in return was glare while deeply breathing in fresh air. I assumed they were baffled over how Elizabeth and I, who were significantly far behind, were able to surpass them.

I looked to her, a triumphant smile crossing my face as I reached for my sword. Elizabeth's face matched mine as we exchanged smirks, though hers fell into terror seconds later. I was alarmed as to why her face suddenly morphed, but then we looked down. To her sword loop. Where her hands feverishly brushed over the _empty_ contents.

Her eyes lifted back to mine. "… Will."

Although I understood our current predicament was Will's fault, he was not here to receive my frustration. So ultimately I became upset with Elizabeth. Our plan had been working perfectly! We ran hard and were able to surprise everyone. What we were supposed to do afterwards was battle the three men, which I was confident wouldn't be too much of a problem for us… probably. Then we would take back the chest and carry it to where it was originally found to wait for Will. However, with the loss of Elizabeth's sword, we were done for. There was no way I'd be able to take down all of them! Whitaker alone had already proven to be difficult.

"Elizabeth!" I found myself glaring. The woman sheepishly smiled back at me while her face turned slightly red. She was clearly embarrassed. I would be too. So I felt some sympathy towards her. However, one look at the three men prevented such pity from crossing my face.

Whitaker's face was lit with humor while his brows came together in a firm, almost evil-looking arch. In front of him stood the just-as-pleased Pintel and Ragetti. They grinned at our clear disadvantage, their smile somehow growing when their vision locked with one another. In a single motion they allowed the chest to fall to the ground and pulled out their swords. I'm sure the only emotion I emitted was that of panic. _How am I supposed to protect both Elizabeth and the chest while fending off this lot?_

"'Ello, Poppet," Pintel lightly hissed towards Elizabeth before directing his gaze at me, "and Pierce."

The two pirates advanced on us, confidently chuckling to themselves with every step. Elizabeth began to back away immediately, which ultimately forced me to retreat so as to better defend her if necessary. I kept my eyes well trained on Whitaker though, since he was probably the better fighter of the three. So when he only took the remaining steps towards the chest and paused, I was the only one to notice.

I stopped moving and tightened my hold on my sword. "Wait! Whitaker is about to-"

The clash of metal abruptly echoed throughout the trees before I could finish my warning of Whitaker's intentions. I watched as each person turned their heads to look at something on my left before doing the same, only to be taken aback by what I saw. I tilted my head to the side and felt my brows come together as confusion found me once again.

Apparently Jack, Will, and Norrington were still fighting, except their battle had now escalated to a level of absurdity. Will and Norrington were dueling one another from atop a large, moving wheel while Jack chased after the already odd sight. I had no inkling as to who now possessed the key, but I assumed it wasn't Jack. If he had the key, there would be no reason for him to be chasing after the wheel. _And how did Will even get up there in the first place?_

I looked back to Elizabeth to see if she had any idea as to what was going on, but she looked just as perplexed as I felt. We shared a shrug of uncertainty before her face dropped to a more serious expression. Without even turning back I knew Pintel and Ragetti were continuing their advance on us. So I retreated another step before my eyes even returned to them. The pirates were doing as I predicted, but I actually felt relieved once I glanced at Whitaker. Rather than picking up the chest and quietly running off, he was still watching the wheel spectacle.

There was still time to take it back.

I remained with Elizabeth until I noticed a tree on my right. With my attention fully trained on retrieving the chest, I quickly slid away from the pirates and pressed myself against the bark. My plan was to allow Pintel and Ragetti to pass me by before grabbing the chest and running off with it. Elizabeth would then either have to fend for herself, which I was suddenly positive she could, or witness the pirates and Whitaker chase after me.

Unfortunately I never got to see the outcome of this plan of mine because as soon as my back rested against the tree, I found myself staring at the crew of Davy Jones. They were charging straight for us, and none of the members appeared pleased in the slightest. I felt foolish for forgetting about their possible appearance onto the island.

Right away I noticed the crewmembers known as Clanker, Quittance, and Greenbeard, though those were all I was able to identify before _they_ noticed _me_. Quittance, the current member leading the crowd, pointed at me and hollered out a "Pierce!" while Clanker launched an axe straight at my head. I immediately ducked down, allowing an alarmed gasp to escape me as I shut my eyes. Only when I heard the sharper edge latch into the bark with a _thud _did I dare to straighten myself back up a bit. My heart quickened when my eyes opened because the handle of the weapon rested only inches from my face.

My yelp and the impact of the axe was enough to snap everyone's attention my way. They looked from my crouched form, to the dangerous weapon above me, and finally back to the approaching crowd of roaring sea-crewmen. Some in the threatening party continued to call out my name, which drew the curious glance of Elizabeth back to me. She said nothing though, allowing the crew to come closer while she continued to stare with a scrunched nose. Not that I was doing any better though. My gaze was darting between her face to Jones's crew, unable to focus on any particular thing.

"… You were with them," Elizabeth finally said as realization swept across her face. She hustled over and pulled me off the ground, her hands intensely gripping the sides of my shoulders. "How do we defeat them?"

I wanted to answer Elizabeth. I wanted to tell her there was a weakness to this crew and that defeating them would be simple. However, I couldn't. Although I had briefly served aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, I learned of no disadvantage. They were strong, determined, and downright cruel: a combination that would not at all work in our favor even with our strong band of five people and four swords.

So instead of filling every soul with hope by releasing the secret of success, I slowly shook my head with wide, unblinking eyes. "We cannot beat them… _run_!"

Elizabeth released her hold on me as fear crept onto her face. I pitied her, just as she probably pitied me at the moment. We slowly backed from the rushing crew, our eyes never leaving their stern faces. It was for this reason that I collided into Whitaker, for he had finally decided pass the chest and gap ahead like the rest of us. Elizabeth, however, had the fortune of easily sliding by him. She continued to back away until she crossed paths with Pintel and Ragetti. This time she was not-so-fortunate because as soon as she slid between them, their weapons were suddenly forced into her hands. She fumbled with the swords as the pirates hastily retreated back to the chest, picked it up, and ran off.

My eyes slid back to a wide-eyed Elizabeth. Her hold on the swords tightened briefly while her eyes flickered to me at sporadic intervals. For a moment I thought she was going to charge at Davy Jones's crew, but she must have thought better of it because she quickly spun around and ran after Pintel and Ragetti. It was only as her retreating back faced me that I remembered _I _still had to follow through with my original suggestion and run from the mighty crew. So I took a step around a dumbfounded Whitaker and ran back the way we came. Whitaker was quick to follow my lead.

I caught up to Elizabeth, Pintel, and Ragetti fairly easily, despite the thick foliage and my still-exhausted self. We leapt over bushes and weaved between trees, taking sudden turns in an attempt to gain some groundage. However, the persistent crew of Davy Jones would not be shaken. They were practically designed for such simple actions and so remained directly behind us the entire time. When Elizabeth realized we were not about to lose the terrifying crew anytime soon, she let out a high-pitched scream. The sudden action had me wincing, Whitaker tripping, and Pintel and Ragetti looking back to see what was happening. The two became so distracted that they paid no attention to what lied in their path, ultimately allowing for a tree to pass between them… and for the chest to drop to the ground.

My heart practically stopped as the chest tumbled through the dirt.

Just as everyone else, I accidentally ran past it before stumbling to a stop. I was not about to leave behind the only item that could lead to Bootstrap's release, let alone what I'd been fighting to protect for some time now. But as my eyes darted from the chest to the closing in crew, my stomach tightened: there was no time to grab it and continue running. The crew was too close.

"We'll have to fight to defend it," I breathlessly announced what I'm sure everyone already dreaded. Whitaker grumbled out some form of complaint from my left, while Elizabeth took a defiant step forward on my right. She appeared terrified, though it was nearly impossible to tell from the way she proudly raised her chin. I became encouraged by her bravery and so forced the feeling upon myself as well. So when the crew did finally collide with us, I was ready.

Elizabeth lifted her two swords just as one of the crewmen lowered his, catching it between her blades. I then took a swipe at the man's middle. Although I knew my attack would do little upon a basically immortal man, my strike was effective enough to temporarily send him back to address his slowly healing wounds. I then moved onto my next target, quickly jabbing at his shoulder.

As another cursed crewmember attacked me, a cry from Ragetti trickled into my ears. I was only able to spot him as I ducked beneath a deathly blow. He was lying defenseless upon the ground with an enemy towering over him. I bit my lip. _I forgot he and Pintel gave up their weapons._

"Sword!" The pirate desperately cried out. Sadly, I could do nothing for him. I had my own foe to deal with and needed my weapon. Luckily Elizabeth was close enough to Ragetti that she could toss him one of hers before swinging down upon the arm of a crewman. Ragetti easily caught the tossed blade and stabbed it into the stomach of his opponent.

Satisfied, I rolled away and struck the ankles of the man I was battling. He fell to the ground, but I decided finishing him off was pointless. So I charged at whatever soul was currently trying to take the chest. As my sword closed in on his back, the man spun around to defend himself. And that man proved to be none other than Whitaker.

My mouth fell as our swords clashed for the second time this day. "What are you doing?"

"Taking what's rightfully mine," he scoffed. I glared at him, but before I could rotate my sword and swipe at him again, we each had to turn our attentions to separate crewmen attempting to attack us.

I quickly disposed of my foe, taking a slice at his knee before hitting the side of his shoulder with the hilt of my sword. The action had him staggering to the side. As soon as he was clear, I spun back around to face Whitaker. Apparently he had finished his challenger just as fast because our swords locked together instantly. His face was set in a rather horrid scowl, but that didn't prevent me from challenging his expression with a glower of my own. "You are acting like a fool, Whitaker. Help us ward off these accursed crewmen!"

"No!" He cried, pushing me into a passing _Dutchman _pirate. The larger man grunted at our harsh impact and readied his sword to barrel down upon me. I rolled beneath the man's feet right as he began to swing, thereby having him temporarily set in a crouched position that I could kick into Whitaker.

Although my human bullet worked, Whitaker was somehow able to squirm his way out before the larger pirate crashed into a tree. My former friend wasted no time in then charging at me. His face was flushed with anger and his sword movements were wild, so it was very difficult to duck out of the way of his first attack. By some miracle I was able to, but I was afraid of what the outcome of the next swing would be. So I hastily leapt onto the forlorn chest of Davy Jones. Not only did I have a slightly higher ground this way, but I was also able to better keep my eye upon the meddlesome container.

I found my balance myself just in time because only seconds later I had to block another swing from Whitaker. My blade was at a strange angle when our weapons crashed, so the vibrations of the impact had my hand stinging. I bit down hard on my lip to prevent pain from showing, but Whitaker knew me too well and began to laugh at my discomfort. This only prompted me to take a swipe at his head. He was barely able to dodge away, which frustrated me beyond all reason—not that I wanted to kill him or anything… I was simply sick of his wicked arrogance.

"_Why _won't you help us?" I spat through a clenched jaw. It was all I could do to release my anger.

"I will _not_ team up with _pirates_," he just as venomously fired back before having to parry with another sea-crewmember. He continued to talk as he fought off the man, and I listened on as I bashed the head of another enemy. "Working under the jurisdiction of Jack Sparrow was a terrible experience in itself, and I was only putting on an act! Norrington and I were treated atrociously, not that I expected any better from a band of miscreants."

"So you would rather act as part of a third party _by yourself_ as opposed to joining a side? Because that sort of thinking practically calls for death." I was met by another one of Whitaker's glares. He had directed so many of them at me within the past hour that they hardly held anymore fire. I sighed, pushing my challenger into Whitaker's so as to better hold his attention. "Who would you rather take the chest: us or the _Dutchman _crew?"

Although initially surprised by my aiding actions, bits of evil slowly crawled back onto his face the longer he thought. Only seconds ticked by before I once again became is target. "Neither! Every last one of you are disgraceful and-"

"Whitaker!" I angrily shouted. He swiped at my feet, but I jumped out of harm's way. As the blade came back around, I quickened my descent so his weapon was caught between my boots and the chest. Seeing as how he couldn't free his blade, the man had no choice but to look up at me. "Davy Jones or me?"

We momentarily locked eyes, both of us glaring. My narrowed vision proved to be the stronger though because he was first to retreat his gaze. He looked to his caught sword, deeply sighing. "Even though you've _soiled_ the good name of a woman by becoming a _pirate_… I would rather you have the chest at the end."

I smiled. "Then why don't you assist me in taking down these cursed pirates? Once they're out of the picture you and I can get back to feuding, all right?"

Although I knew Whitaker would not be pleased in the slightest about complying with my suggestion, he agreed nonetheless. Locks of his sandy hair drifted onto his face as he nodded his head, but his shoulders fell at the clear disapproval he had in himself. For a moment I felt sympathy towards him. Our relatively close ties may have severed into a state of near enemies in a short amount of time, but even our violent duel couldn't erase the lighter memories I had of him. Granted there were few, but they still lingered in my mind. So witnessing him as he forced himself to join sides with, technically, pirates, the very beings he so loathed because they murdered his past love, did have an effect on me.

I gently placed my hand upon his shoulder and removed my foot from atop his sword. Once the weapon was free, Whitaker turned his hazel eyes to me. I offered him a half smile. "Just because you're helping us does not mean you are a pirate. If you wish, perhaps you could think of this as a temporary placement to insure the wrong people will not win."

For a moment than man I remembered from Port Royal shone through the foreign dirt smudged across his face. He smirked, raising his hand so it grasped the top of my extended arm. It looked as though he wished to say something, but instead he forcibly pulled me off of the chest. I went directly into a large bush, which wouldn't have been so bad had my head not been knocked over the plant and into the dirt. I was beyond infuriated with Whitaker as I pushed myself off the ground. When I turned back to deal with him though, my anger ceased to exist. The reason he had forced me from the chest was not to take it and run off, but to stab at a _Dutchman _crewmember who had apparently tried to attack me from behind.

Watching Whitaker actually follow through with our agreement, for some reason, had me frozen. I watched as he sliced diagonally across the pirate's chest before ducking down from a blow and punching the pirate in the gut. Although doubled over, the pirate tried to grab at the chest as he fell. So Whitaker had no choice but to kick the container out of the way.

And then the man noticed my blatant staring. He nearly burst into a fit of laughter despite the tense scene going on around us. "Honestly, Evelyn dear, did you really think I'd go back on our agreement?"

_Yes._ I thought, though said nothing for the sake of his temper. The last thing we needed was for him to turn into a crazed man again.

"Sword!" I heard Elizabeth call at my side. Without really thinking, I tossed her mine. As soon as the handle left my grasp my eyes widened because, I realized, now _I _had no weapon.

I reached for my sword in an attempt to take it back so Pintel or Ragetti could offer their blade, but it was too late. The sword was out of my grasp. Worst of all, the lobster form of the crewmember Penrod was heading straight for me. He swung his club through the air, intending to strike my head as he passed by. With a sharp gasp I fell to the earth once more, covering my head for good measure.

"Sword!" I desperately cried out. Seconds later I found a blade gliding through the air and into my hand. There was little time to marvel at the spectacle though because I had to quickly swipe at Penrod before he could attack again, and then pass the weapon off to the next weaponless person in our party.

Our band of five carried on this way as we pushed through the trees: passing along our swords and kicking Davy Jones's chest around so the _Dutchman _crew wouldn't take it. The goal was to reach the shores so as to locate the boat and see if we could escape that way before the crew swarmed us. It was a faith plan, but it a plan nonetheless. We had to get the chest to safety somehow. Our crusade to do so, however, was proving to be difficult. There seemed to be a constant amount of pirates popping up around us, and all at the opportune moment when one person did not have a sword. They were toying with our disadvantage, but even then we showed endurance. Although physically exhausted, we were determined. So determined, in fact, that we were actually able to gain the upper hand and outrun the onslaught of Davy Jones's crew.

Whitaker and I each had a sword when I noticed we suddenly got an advantage: we had formed a gap. Pintel and Ragetti sent their swords towards Elizabeth when they too noticed and grabbed the chest—which had somehow managed to land a good ways ahead of us. I finished off my foe with a simple kick to his shins before following after Whitaker. We were able to catch up with Elizabeth, though that was only because she had taken a successful backwards stab at _two _pirates. She smiled triumphantly and I offered her a proud smirk before she jogged alongside me.

Since the cursed pirates were now behind us, we had to make a mad dash for the ocean. Even then Whitaker, Elizabeth, and I had to swing back at an enemy drawing too close to us. We tried to keep them as far away from Pintel and Ragetti as possible, seeing as they had the chest, but the trip to the shore was long and the _Dutchman _crew seemed unable to become exhausted. So right when our boots hit the sea's waves, the crew was able to surround us. We could not move through the water as swiftly as they could, so we had no choice but to stand our ground and fight them off once more.

Pintel and Ragetti continued on towards the boat while Elizabeth, Whitaker, and I paused to challenge the crew of Davy Jones. Unfortunately some of the members ran right past us and attacked our pirate friends. There was nothing anyone could do to assist them though. We were all preoccupied by some form of threat. I personally was fending off two pirates, with a third one attempting to squeeze in. He had both an axe and a flail, to which the latter he used to whip between the shoulders of my two closer opponents. After dodging from it a few times, and nearly being cut by the others in the process, I decided enough was enough.

After slashing at the stomachs of the closer pirates, I planted my feet firmly in the ocean and tightened the hold I had on my sword. When the flail came at me again, I vertically raised my weapon so the heavy chain would wrap around the blade. As soon as the spiked ball at the tip locked the flail in place, I shot my sword back with such a force that the flail splashed somewhere off in the ocean. The pirate was not entirely thrilled with his new lack of weaponry and so raised his small axe to better charge me with. The other two pirates recovered at that exact moment, ultimately leaving me in a rather troublesome situation. I stood my ground though. If this was to be the end, then at least I'd go to my grave fighting. Perhaps I'd even meet up with Bootstrap again, seeing as I would technically die at sea. Not that I wanted to serve under the command of Davy Jones though.

I never got to see if the three sea crewmen could have killed me because the giant wheel from before suddenly ran over two of my opponents. They were not the only ones to fall either, I noticed. Many of the cursed crew was now submerged under the ocean because of the wheel. Those left standing, in their shock, ceased to fight and instead looked after the contraption. I too kept my eyes trained on it with my brows furrowed and head tilted. The abruptness of it had me thankful, but utterly confused.

It wasn't until the wheel came to a stop and collapsed into the ocean that I remembered Will had been atop it at one point.

I made to dash over to it, but the blasted pirate that once held the flail still seemed to be peeved with me. He leapt over his companions, his eyes full of a washed-out fire. The axe thrashed about in the air, meaning to instantly strike. I simply glared at the little weapon. Through the corners of my eyes I saw two figures emerge from the wheel, and I'd bet anything one of them was Will. I needed to reach him, and the axe pirate was just proving to be a nuisance.

So I took a large step to the side, thereby allowing his landing to be the sea as opposed to me. I then slashed the pirate across the back, kicked him into the water, and promptly ran towards the large wheel.

Will was basically face down in the ocean by the time I got there. His attempts at pulling himself up were failing, so I wasted no time in bending down to assist him. I grabbed hold of his arms, and he tightly grasped mine in return. He began to sway in place once he was on his feet, forcing me to retain a firm grip on his shoulders.

He greeted me with a warm smile and an unexpected embrace. "Evelyn," I heard him sigh into my hair. He almost sounded relieved at my presence.

"Hello to you too, Will," I laughed before pulling away. His eyes were nearly spinning now that I released him, so it wasn't long until he began to lean a bit too far and I had to grasp his shoulders once more. Despite the glare upon my face at having to steady him, I smiled, "I don't know how long you were spinning inside that contraption, but you must focus on staying still!"

"But Elizabeth! She needs my help!" He cried, attempting to take a step forward.

I bit down on my lip and took a look back. Sure enough, Elizabeth and all the other beings fighting out there were slowly making their way over to us. She was fighting a losing battle, even if none of the fouler pirates were able to lay a finger on her.

_Perhaps we should go back… _I thought as I spun back to face Will. However, after looking at his still-dizzying face, I knew him fighting would not be the best of decisions.

"She'll be fine, Will. She's a very talented swordswoman and has Whitaker fighting alongside her." The mere mention of Whitaker's name had Will scowling and his hands forming fists. He tried to make the action as subtle as possible, but it was too obvious not to be noticed. For his sake though, I pretended that nothing had transpired. "Besides, you are in no condition to wield a sword! I'm basically holding you up, and even now you're swaying. You should probably sit in the boat until your mind settles."

"No, I'll be fine. I can handle this, Evelyn," he protested, removing my hands from his arms.

I shook my head and sighed, allowing my vision to trickle towards the longboat everyone had arrived in. What I then saw had me taking a curious step around Will. "Regardless of how you feel, we definitely need to reach the boat. Norrington appears to be meddling with something inside it. And… is that Jack? Dueling with Koleniko? Either way, that can't be good."

Will's response was silence. I took that for him agreeing with me but being too dizzy to respond. So I took hold of his hand and dragged him towards the longboat. However, Will stumbled from the sudden movement, sending us both into the ocean and allowing Pintel and Ragetti to pass us by. Following after the duo were two members of the _Dutchman _crew.

I outwardly groaned my frustration as I stood and pushed Will forward. "Take care of them. They have the chest and won't be of any threat to you, even in your current spinning state." He made to protest, but a waved him on. "Go! I'll be fine. I promise."

He tenderly grasped my left shoulder, locking eyes with me for a long moment before nodding his head and diagonally dashing the short distance towards the boat. I looked after him for a moment. Everything he did seemed to cloud my mind as of late, even if the surrounding situation was dire. I had to shake my head clear multiple times, and even then I wasn't entirely prepared when a sword was suddenly gliding towards my face. Instantly I ducked down, slashing my sword behind me in the hopes that it would make contact with the feet of a pirate. It didn't, but the strike did send my opponents back a little, which gave me enough time to stand back up and ready my positioning.

The two pirates were tall, strong, and very fast. Not even my swiftness was able to assist me in my duel with them. Retreating was my only option, and I wasn't alone in doing so. Elizabeth, Whitaker, and now Norrington had already begun the process of withdrawing towards the boat. I just happened to be slightly closer. So when my ears detected a strange _thwak _followed by a grunt and the collapse of something, I wasted no time in pushing back my foes long enough to see what had happened behind me.

The sight of Will limply hanging over the side of the boat was enough to nearly make me drop my sword. I held on, but disregarded my enemies entirely by running for him instead. Elizabeth had apparently noticed her fiancé's sudden unconsciousness too because I heard her cry out his name. However, I was able to reach him first.

I leaned over the boat to cup his face, relieved to find him breathing. A medium-sized bump was slowly forming along his forehead, but it was comforting to know whatever impact occurred had not been strong enough to kill him. So I crouched down beside him, shaking his arms and calling out his name multiple times to try and stir him back into consciousness. His eyelids didn't even twitch.

"He's out cold," I stated to Elizabeth as she made her appearance on Will's right. Her features mirrored the distress I felt. Rather than look at the face that probably matched mine, I instead turned to Jack. "Did you see what happened to him?"

Jack's eyes shifted from Will's lifeless form to the paddle clutched within his hands, but he said nothing. I skeptically eyed the oar, gritting my teeth as I drew my own conclusion. Jack would definitely knock Will out had Will deciphered something that he wasn't supposed to. However, Jack had yet to say what I already knew. I was fuming at his refraining of admittance. "_Jack Sparrow, what did you do?_"

This time he took a breath to actually respond to me, but his attention traveled was elsewhere when Elizabeth attempted to hoist Will up. "Leave him lie!" He ordered as the remaining members of our party assembled around the boat. I took a protective stance in front of Will, my sword ready to strike at any of the perusing _Dutchman _crew. "Unless you plan on using him to hit something with."

Or perhaps Jack would suffice.

"I'd like to see you try," I warned through a scowl. Jack's eyes narrowed at me, despite his lips twitching into that of a smile.

"Even if we did use Will as some form of protection, we're not getting out of this," Elizabeth, her voice full of panic, exclaimed. Although I sensed her fright, I was a bit caught off guard that she had thought about using Will as some form of shield.

A just-as-easily-shocking statement from Norrington wiped that though from my mind though: "Not with the chest… Into the boat."

The former Commodore proceeded to reach into the longboat and take out the chest. I gaped at the notion he was implying. _Using himself as bait? That will only result in his death._

"You're mad!" Elizabeth bitterly accused. Apparently she and I thought alike in these sorts of matters.

"Don't wait for me," he said as his eyes drifted towards Whitaker. The men shared a single nod before Norrington trudged through the water with the chest tightly clasped within his arm. I was so absorbed by this shocking turn of events that I hardly noticed the approach of Whitaker.

He lightly stroked my hand, which easily drew my attention because I wanted to recoil from his touch. "I will follow after my superior."

I blinked up at him, "You're as crazed as the former Commodore."

Whitaker said nothing. Instead he drew me towards him and placed a kiss upon my brow. His lips burned my skin, which ultimately left me firing one final glare at him as he pulled away. The rogue, however, only winked at me as he backed up. "Goodbye, Evelyn dear!"

And then he was gone; taking off after Norrington with the entirety of Davy Jones's crew at his heels.

The whole ordeal was upsetting, but overall shocking. It was honorable that these two men were willing to sacrifice themselves for our safety, and I actually felt a hint of sadness at their parting. Neither Norrington nor Whitaker were in anyone's favor, however, so not a single tear was shed for them. We were mostly just relieved that our threat was now gone.

Only a moment's silence passed as we watched them go before Jack spoke up: "I-I say we respect their final wish."

"Aye!" Pintel quickly agreed, to which we all then placed our weapons into the boat.

I was the only exception. My sword I simply thrust into my holder so I could quickly climb into the boat. I was deeply concerned for Will, and the disappearance of the _Dutchman _crew only seemed to heighten my worry. I found myself cupping his face again, trying my best to revive him. Elizabeth had entered the vessel as well, but all she did was watch my efforts with concern.

"Take hold of his head, Evelyn," Jack softly ordered. I casted him another sharp stare, but did as I was told. Those still outside the boat then heaved the rest of Will's body in so we could better make way for the _Black Pearl_.

Very gently I laid Will's head in my lap, brushing the damp hair away from his face. Elizabeth sat at my side, tightly clutching his hand. Her head never once turned away from their interlocking hands. My own vision remained locked on his face. If there was any sign of him coming to, I wanted to be the first to know. I refused to leave his sights, even if all he currently saw was blackness.


	22. Frozen

**Oh snap. This story has so many chapters that to preview the most recent chapter, a person has to scroll through the chapters. SCROLL! The only other time this has ever happened to me (so far) was in the Narnia story on my account. Craziness! And yet this is nearly finished… It'll probably be done by the end of the summer... Ah! But we'll get to those announcements when they happen.**

dream lightning: _Will's just confused. Who wouldn't be? You finally get reunited with your fiancée (or fiancé) only to become jealous by someone else kissing one of your greatest (perhaps more than) friends. My mind would be a mess, haha!_

Dalonega Noquisi: _I'VE MISSED YOU TOO! :3_

ohnoestadpoles: _I'm glad you find this refreshing! And that you think it's realistic, as that is definitely one of the things I strive for. Can you really see her fitting into the storyline?! Because that alone would cause me to grin like a mad fool. Haha! Though you finding Evelyn and all her quirks just as realistic has the same effect ;D And who said anything about Whitaker not making any more appearances? Perhaps he'll come back when Evelyn has evolved more so she can give him what he deserves! Then again, perhaps not. You'll have to wait and see. Teehee!_

ToryIsConfusedDotCom: _Haha, thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying everything! The love triangle-square-thing was hectic to think of what to do with (it got to the point where I questioned why I ever created Whitaker), but I'm thankful my final result worked out in your book! AND HERE IS YOUR UPDATE! Enjoy :D_

Ruby: _Good luck on your exams! Summer is only a few stressful hours of studying away._

Kagome Narome: _Bwahaha! Your review made my day! You seem like a very funny person xD Anyway, I hope you've recovered from your heart attack! Otherwise you won't be able to feel the satisfaction of pushing the "Next" button and reading chapter twenty-two!_

Lewtam: _Ah! I'm so happy you love Evelyn and her "forbidden love" with Will. She's the first character I ever created on this website, so the fact that she's still appealing to people makes my heart sour! And look! Now you get to click the "Next" button onto a new chapter ;D_

M:_ I'm updating as fast as I can, don't you worry. With the three stories I have (one of them being co-written), I'm actually posting once a week! So you can expect an update of this story every other week or so. The only exception would be if too much stress is occurring in my life (such has last month, hehheh)._

**Phew, that was a lot of responding to do! Sorry if I didn't get to reply to your review. I didn't want to make the Author's Note too long. I mean, it's already on the bottom of the first page in my word document! CRAZY! But I absolutely LOVE all the support and words of encouragement you all write. You all have my deepest gratitude :)**

**As always, happy reading!**

**~MisticLight**

**P.S. Someone I know just had a baby boy and named him Beckett. Not only was my first reaction to announce the connection with **_**Pirates**_**, but also typing Lord Cutler Beckett's name has now become a bit awkward xD**

~.~.~.~.

Relief would be an understatement to my feelings upon seeing Will's bright brown eyes finally open. I wanted to embrace him! Yet I did not know if his unconscious state had rendered him weak. So instead of mirroring his actions on Isla Cruces when he discovered I was still alive, I settled with simply flashing him a soft smile.

He was quick to return the gesture, though his face twisted into that of confusion. "Are we on the _Pearl_?"

"Yes," I slowly nodded, "Pintel and Ragetti rowed us back shortly after you fell unconscious."

"And how exactly did that happen?" He touched his forehead, wincing when he felt the bump that had formed. I gently grabbed his hand so he wouldn't bother it more.

"I have my suspensions," I practically growled as I sent yet another heated stare at Jack. Since I had periodically done so once the longboat was away from shore, the pirate hardly noticed. "But I'll spare you my thoughts. I fear you'll only become angry."

"Ah, so it was Jack then?" Will asked while humorously raising his brows.

"Perhaps," I shrugged. "You're awake and speaking now though, and that's all that truly matters. So I suppose I'll go get Elizabeth. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to know you're conscious."

Although I smiled down at Will, I prayed he didn't notice the sadness I felt tainting my lips. Retrieving Elizabeth was more of an honorable duty and not necessarily something I wished to do. She was the fiancée, not I. No matter how much I'd rather stay with Will, it would only be right if she were the one by his side.

When I attempted to stand though, Will held me back by giving my hand a soft squeeze. I looked from our hands to his face, my heart suddenly quickening because he'd refused to let go. He held my gaze. "I noticed you dueling Whitaker before I followed after Norrington and Jack. Is everything all right?"

"Yes and no," I softly explained. Will nodded his head for me to continue. "It's not all right in the sense that I feel as though I've lost someone relatively dear to me. I discovered a whole new side of Whitaker; a side filled with hatred and evil. This new side, I feel, has always been a part of him. He'd just done a fine job at keeping it hidden. I suppose being at sea under the jurisdiction of the very beings you despise the most has that effect on people.

"All is well because a burden has lifted from my shoulders. My ties with Whitaker are essentially inexistent now! I'm actually happy I know about his darker side, though that does sound a bit unsettling for me to think such. I'm free from his influence, Will! How did I not see how belittling it was in the first place? I was forced to think and act a certain way whenever I was with him, and that's not me. I was putting on a show for the benefit of others, concealing my true self. I shouldn't have to do that! So I suppose, at the end of all things, I'm actually quite pleased with what transpired between Whitaker and I. At least then I was able to learn of his dark side before it was too late."

I wasn't quite sure what I meant by "before it was too late." Certainly not marriage, for how could I marry a man I did not love? Even if I had spent more time with Whitaker and got to know him more—all without knowing of his evil core, of course—I doubt I would have agreed to such a proposal.

_Then again, I am a much stronger person than I was before this adventure. And if Will and Elizabeth had proceeded to marry… _I shook my head clear of those thoughts. Thinking of what could have been was pointless, especially if that future resulted in the possibility of my unhappy, simply convenient marriage. It was enough to make my skin crawl.

I hid my displeasure from Will with another smile. The last thing I needed was for him to know what I was thinking. "I gave him quite a good thrashing though."

"No doubt you gave him what he deserved," he chuckled. I join him, but had a feeling his words drove deeper than what they sounded. His comment was light enough, but the tone in which it was said… it sounded as though there was a lingering resentment between him and Whitaker. "I am sorry I wasn't there for you, however. Jack had taken the key from me and without it-"

"Will, why are you apologizing?" I lightly asked as I squeezed his hand. "I wanted you to get that key just as much as you did. It was the only way to save Bootstrap! And, now that I think about it, ourselves since Beckett wanted Jack's compass and Jack would only give us his compass if we got him the key." My eyes traced the floorboards beside me as I made mental connections with everything, but I quickly turned back to Will. "Besides, you _were _with me… In here," I tapped my temple. "You taught me how to use a sword, so your guidance constantly ran through my mind. In fact, the whole purpose of me even fighting off Whitaker was _for_ you." As soon as my words processed in my brain, I felt my cheeks grow hot. I took a breath to add _"… And Bootstrap, of course"_ but all those words caught in my throat once Will gently cupped the side of my face.

I leaned into his palm, shutting my eyes and allowing my free hand to drift onto his. The worries of the surrounding world faded under the darkness of my eyelids. All I could feel was his hand upon my cheek. All I could hear was the beating of my heart. Nothing else mattered. I didn't even care what Elizabeth would think if she saw the scene.

"Evelyn, I…" I heard Will whisper. When I opened my eyes, he was propped up on one elbow with his eyes locked squarely on mine. An affectionate stare took hold of us for what felt like a long while. Eventually I felt Will's thumb lift and gently trace my forehead before circling back down to do the same upon my cheek. Even then my stare did not break, though his eyes trickled towards his thumb with a sigh. "You have dirt on your face."

I softly chuckled at him. As my brief giggling died down, I shut my eyes once more and turned towards his hand. Pressing my lips against his palm, I willed my wall of emotions to rest against his skin in a single long kiss. With the hand once placed atop his, I then forced his hand away by curling his fingers around my kiss and guiding it towards his chest. He looked from his hand to me, an unreadable expression crossing his face. I could only offer him a sad smile before standing. The hand he held to so dearly before left him with every slip of my fingers.

This was not my place.

"Elizabeth," I lightly called over my shoulder. The young woman was pacing about the deck, her eyes trained to the floor. She was too distracted to help prepare the ship for departure, but far too caught up in her thoughts to stay with her fiancé. My own worries had been fixated solely on Will, hence why helping the crew was simply out of the question for me. Jack didn't seem to mind that too terribly though. In fact, he had basically _ordered_ me to stay beside Will until he woke up. Despite still being quite aggravated with the pirate, I was truly thankful for his understanding.

When Elizabeth heard her name, she immediately stopped in her tracks and looked to me with bright, hopeful eyes. She didn't even need a word of confirmation to understand her fiancé was now awake. Her eyes locked onto his form before taking off in a sudden sprint to reach him. She was kneeling over him in an instant. "Oh Will, thank God you're all right!"

She continued to express her worries over him, but I took no notice of her words. My focus went beyond her and onto Will, who was looking right back at me. There seemed to be a longing sensation within his eyes, though I could not say for certain. _I don't know why there would be one anyway. Elizabeth is sitting right in front of him._

After a moment of staring, he fell back onto the deck. His eyes traced the sky above before suddenly narrowing. As he looked to Elizabeth, it almost appeared as though a sudden thought had crossed his mind. "What happened to the chest?"

"Norrington took it to draw them off," she softly replied. Will skeptically looked about the ship, but I felt my brows furrow. I couldn't believe I had forgotten to mention that. "Whitaker went with him. Their sacrifice is the only reason we survived."

Will's brows were considerably raised when he lifted his head to look at me. I merely shrugged off the matter with another smile. With the exception of wondering whether Whitaker was still alive, his departure did not affect me. I didn't care that he willingly left me or that the purpose of him leaving was so I'd survive. Both were extreme ways of looking at a simple action, yet I cared not for either one. My mind truly was liberated.

Seeing as Will had woken up and Elizabeth was now with him, I was no longer needed. So I might as well help the crew. I took a step towards the port-side of the ship and almost instantly my eyes fell upon the struggling forms of Pintel, Ragetti, and Marty. They were _still _attempting to lower the boat, even after all this time of us all being assembled on the deck!

"You're pulling too hard!" Pintel complained to his friend.

Ragetti sharply looked back at him before lifting his legs to pull the rope down. "You ain't pulling hard enough!"

Marty simply rolled his eyes at the two of them as he went about his work. Clearly he was finished with those pirates and just wanted to get the job done so he could move on.

Other men were with these three, but I could only focus on them. Not only did I know them the most, but Pintel and Ragetti still held my spite for stealing the chest while I was preoccupied. Although they willingly teamed up with Elizabeth and I to fend off Jones's crew, that did not clear them of their initial actions.

I glared at them for a moment until their helplessness sunk further into my bones. My hands flew into the air with frustration, "Honestly boys!"

Each one of them immediately stopped to gape at me. Pintel was the first to recover. "What?"

"There is a considerable lack of teamwork on this vessel! I swear the _Flying Dutchman _fared better than you lot," I sighed before forcing myself between the very beings I was most angered with. "None of you are pulling together. So when I say 'Heave,' then everyone pull down on their rope, all right?" I was answered with blank stares and a few nods. Shaking my head, I decided to interpret this as they understood. "_Heave!_"

"A few days aboard the _Dutchman _and she thinks she can tell us what's right…" I heard Pintel mumble under his breath as he repositioned himself for the next pull. I sent a glare his way.

"_Heave!_"

"Yeah! What's she got on us?" Ragetti replied, sending his response over my head so his friend could hear. _Honestly, it's as though I'm not even here._

I grit my teeth. "_Heave…_" As I pulled down on the rope, I sent my glower towards the latter pirate. "What I lack for in experience I more than make up for with my morals," I spat.

"Now what're you goin' on about?" Pintel asked, actually taking note of my presence.

"I think she's trying to say she finds her thoughts superior to ours," Ragetti explained.

"That's not entirely what I meant," I sighed before shouting out _"Heave!"_ again to the other pirates. "All I'm saying is I'm more aware of when something is wrong. Take stealing, for example. You two thought pilfering the chest would be an excellent idea, despite all the feuds going on about it. Worst of all, you carried out the act when the two nearest it were busy dueling one another." I passed a glare between the two of them. "_Heave!_"

"What?" Pintel gaped with unblinking eyes. "Us? _Stealing_? No, Evelyn, you got it all wrong. We was just trying to rid temptation from everyone's path."

"Yeah, doing you all a favor we was," Ragetti hastily agreed. "It would save your mortal souls and put ours in a more favorable position."

"_Heave!_"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but I doubt _stealing_ something to remove temptation is honorable enough to 'save your souls.' You're both just using that as an excuse to cover for your natural greedy ways."

That got the two pirate friends thinking. They blankly stared at me for a moment before their eyes confusingly locked with one another. Worry spread across their paler faces, but that only made them look comical. I heard Marty chuckle from behind Pintel as he watched the scene, which caused a smile to take hold of my lips. Although Pintel and Ragetti were once part of Barbossa's vicious pirate crew, it was difficult to stay upset with them for very long. They had a lighthearted air about them, despite being troubled at times.

My spirits were greatly lifted when I took a breath to command the pirates again. "_Hea-_"

The _Flying Dutchman _nearly flew out of the water, making my unfinished shout linger in the air. The ropes slipped from all our hands as we gazed upon it, ultimately sending the longboat crashing to the deck. Water dripped from every crevice of the sea-formed vessel while the moist sails sent water droplets upon the crew. I could hardly blink them away because of the terror I felt. The shouts of the sea-crewmen sent my legs into reverse until the main mast prevented them from backing any further. My eyes scanned the faces of every man—from the bow to the stern—until they rested upon the vile figure of Davy Jones himself. He was scowling at Jack, though my unblinking gaze sent his eyes in search of the owner. I looked away before his vision could find me, turning to the only person who could possibly understand my frantic mind: Will.

My eyes widened when I noticed his stare already upon me. Fear was visible within his face, though he unsuccessfully tried to hide it by locking his jaw. I bit my lip at the reflection of my emotion. As soon as Will took in my more nervous features, he pushed his way through the few pirates between us to be by my side. Elizabeth ever-faithfully followed, her horrified eyes never leaving the ship. Will and I's own vision never once faltered.

"We are plagued by the ship, Will. Wherever we go, a piece of it always seems to follow." My breathing and heart rate picked up at once, yet my eyes refused to part from Will's. Our continuing stare was the only thing keeping me somewhat sane. "Are we ever to escape it?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. He looked pained to admit such to me, and I cursed my cries for making him feel that way. "Davy Jones is a powerful man and his hatred is directed at us. On land we may find sanctuary, but at sea I fear we will forever be hunted until he is dead."

"And we'll have to remain at sea until we free your father," I mumbled, nervously running a hand through my hair. Will nodded as I sighed. "Oh God, this is becoming more complicated by the-"

"Oi, fishface!" I heard Jack call. Will and I immediately snapped our attentions towards the poop deck where Jack proudly stood before the vicious Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_. Raised high above his head was the jar of dirt Tia Dalma had given him. _What on earth is that man doing?_

"Lose something? Eh? _Scungilli_!" The pirate crossed towards the bow of the ship, but tripped at the edge of the poop deck and fell down the stairs. A cloud of dust flew up around him.

The entire crew grimaced and _ooed _at the harsh fall. I winced, but quickly composed myself. After all the hell Jack Sparrow put Will and I through, he most definitely deserved a fall like that.

His only concern, however, solely lied on that jar of dirt. After examining the glass for any sorts of scratches, Jack sat up and displayed the jar for all to see. "Got it!" He called before standing to face Jones once more. "Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git? Look what I got."

Although Jack looked quite proud of himself as he walked closer towards where I stood, showing off the jar of dirt as if it were the greatest treasure to ever be discovered, I was not so pleased. His taunting was probably not the wisest of decisions, especially since there was nothing for him to be so smug about. Norrington and Whitaker had taken the chest. Jones had no use for a jar of dirt.

So as the pirate strode past me, I reached for him to better pull him to a stop. "Jack Sparrow, stop this! Are you trying to get us killed?" He brushed me off with the swift movement of his arm. I was only able to grab a bit of fabric, and I couldn't even hold on to that. I glowered at him, "If you would just stop and _think _for a moment-"

"_I got a jar of dirt, I got a jar of dirt, and guess what's inside it?_"

I had not expected the singing. Freezing in my outstretched position, I looked after Jack as if he were inane… or at least madder than usual. My gaze then shifted into confusion before I looked to Will and Elizabeth beside me. Will was the only one to catch my eye, and he looked as clueless as I felt. The whole deranged situation rang with humor, yet we were all too shocked and puzzled to breathe out even a small giggle.

We weren't the only ones to find Jack's song strange and unnecessary. Only seconds after he took another proud stance before the _Dutchman _with his jar raised high above his head, the wooden faces carved on the side of the ship opened to reveal their cannoned throats. Unreleased water poured from the openings, acting as small waterfalls to push the weapons farther into the open.

I felt my shoulders tense up as I took in the escalating scene. Scanning the entirety of the ship, my eyes paused only when I saw the barrel of a cannon aimed directly at my face. If those cursed crewmen were to fire that weapon, my head would be swept clean off my shoulders. That thought alone was enough to make me gulp down the urge to scream.

With a new terror rising within me, I turned to Will. Simply looking at his calmer face had always put me at ease, but this time was different. Although fear had faintly leaked onto his face numerous times as of late, in this instant he did not try to restrain the emotion. The face that finally looked to me was filled with just as much panic as my racing heart. Words could not be spoken on either of our parts. Our only source of communication was through wide, unblinking eyes.

Somehow in a single unified instant, our hands reached for one another. Our fingers intertwined instantly. Each pulsation of his sent a wave of courage through my fingertips. Mine must have done the same to him because his grip suddenly tightened. It became stronger, more intense, and my hold on him echoed. We gave each other courage.

With the exchange of a simple nod we knew we'd have to cast our fears aside. Will and I were the only ones with experience aboard the _Dutchman_. If there was to be an invasion, the crew of the _Pearl _would ultimately look to us. We needed to be strong so as not to discourage them. Even though we knew none of the _Dutchman_'s weaknesses, Will and I could not afford to show fear. And we would not do such so long as we were together.

"Hard to starboard!" Elizabeth's shouted order came so suddenly that Will and I both jumped out of our trance. Our hands swiftly broke apart and our heads snapped forward.

Not knowing what to do, Will brought his arm around. "Brace up the foreyard!"

"Heave ahead and make speed!" I further commanded of the lot before dashing to the starboard rigging. Elizabeth and Will had run off in the opposite direction; Will to the rigging and Elizabeth towards the poop deck.

My hands instantly grabbed hold of one of the loose ropes and, proudly using my stronger upper body strength, pulled down hard. Once another pirate grabbed hold of my work, I secured the thick string with a tight knot. He then pulled upon the rope down further, wrapping it beneath the metal securing and around my knot. Our actions were quick. The faster we tightened the ropes, the sooner the sail would be supportive enough for us to swiftly get away. And we would need as much distance as possible because the _Dutchman _was fast enough to compete with the _Pearl_.

A loud guttural call of _"Fire!" _suddenly rang in my ears. The voice matched with my memory of Maccus, the hammerhead first mate. I immediately looked over the railing, finding the glint of fire faintly flashing within the mouths of the carved faces.

I turned to the man I was working with, "Make fast." Handing him a rope, I pushed my way to the opposite side of the deck since the port side was more vulnerable to the cannons. Although the entire crew on that side of the ship was in more danger and therefore needed to be warned, the only person to run through my mind was Will. "Incoming fire! Brace yourselves!"

My hands feverously waved through the air above me to draw the attention of as many people as possible, but I had to tightly close them to my chest moments later as the sound of cannon fire sounded off. I was nearly aligned with the main mast when a vicious crash echoed on my left. No doubt it was the ship responding to an impact. As I looked over to inspect the damage, a cannonball flew from the doors of the Captain's cabin and past my intended path. I forced my sprinting feet to an abrupt stop as small pieces of wood rained down upon me. A second jostle of the ship then threw my unbalanced self forward and into the arms of a passerby. The person staggered slightly from the collision, but found his footing.

As he straightened me up, I looked up at him with a smile. "Thank you, Will." I had recognized the necklace I made him hanging over his chest.

He said nothing because a shout from Pintel cut of his intake of breath: "She's on us! She's on us!"

We ran back to the starboard side to see just how much space lied between us and the _Dutchman_. The jaw of the ship was not too far behind, and we witnessed in horror as two openings appeared where eyes could be located. I took a sharp breath, "The triple guns."

Will and I had stumbled upon the chase guns a few times during our tasks aboard the _Dutchman_. The triple-barreled deadly weapons would be our demise if we did not escape fast enough since they had the capacity to fire more rapidly than any other weapon imaginable. Rumors of its extensive damage were mumbled to me when I first took notice of them. Often times, I was told, it drove ships to the bottom of the ocean.

"They'll aim for the rigging," Will said as his eyes turned from the crow's nest to me. "We must secure more ropes before we are lost."

Our cue to carry out the task was by a man being thrown from the deck as a result of a cannonball exploding near him. Similar eruptions were quick to make an appearance.

We threw handfuls of rope at men as the ship veered to the side in an attempt the throw off the attacks. Water sprayed up onto the deck, but in my concentration I took no notice of it. Will and I worked as a team, knotting ropes and assisting those struggling to do so. Whether we were working with one another or not, we stayed close. I was perfectly fine with this arrangement because I could better monitor whether Will was safe or not, and judging by the numerous sideways glances I caught, he seemed to be looking after me too. I was left wondering why we didn't simply stick together from the start.

Eventually the explosions from the water died down and the shaking of the ship ceased to exist. The intensity of the panicked crew, however, continued. I looked up to Will with furrowed brows once I finished off another knot near the floorboards. _Are we pulling ahead?_

Will didn't seem to have an answer. He gave one final pull on the rope he was working on before handing it off to a light haired pirate. "Make fast!" He ordered before taking hold of my wrist and pulling me to my feet. I knew he was leading me to the wheel before my boots even hit the steps. The clear view from the poop deck was the only way we'd get any solid answers.

Gibbs and Elizabeth were already looking over the port-side railing by the time we reached the top. Will wasted no time in dragging me over there either. Elizabeth's high-pitched voice filled the air as we approached: "She's falling behind!"

"Aye. We've got her!" Gibbs excitedly confirmed.

Will and I shared an equally confused glance before he leaned more over the railing. "We're the faster?"

"Against the wind, the _Dutchman_ beats us. That'show she takes her prey," Gibbs explained as he looked back to us. "But _with _the wind…"

"We rob her advantage."

"Aye."

"We may have the advantage, but at what cost? The _Dutchman _does not seem like one to take falling behind lightly." My comment, however, was ignored by Gibbs and Elizabeth as they pushed away from the railing. I was frustrated by it, but at least Will had the decency of staying. However, he had yet to turn his head back to face me. So I rounded to the other side of him only to find him intently staring ahead. "Will?"

My voice snapped him out of his trance and his eyes fell to me. "Evelyn, we can save my father with the _Black Pearl_! All we have to do is keep her out of the headwind."

"I don't think nowis the proper time to be mapping out an escape for your father, especially since we have no means of removing him _from_ the ship." I felt terrible for bringing up a crucial flaw in Will's plan, but everyone aboard the _Pearl _was becoming far too relaxed than what I felt they should be. "I'm sorry, Will. But do you not find it strange that their fires have stopped and their canvas appears to be doused? Something just doesn't feel right…"

"She's given up?" Hope rose in his voice as he looked above my head towards the ship. I took a brief glance at it, but faced forward again with a sigh. Will became confused by my reaction. "Do you not see the advantage we hold? We can take the ship! With our able speed, we can bring down the _Dutchman_. Jones would have no choice but to liberate my father."

"I know! I want to save Bootstrap too, it's just-"

"Then you'll support me when I tell Jack we need to turn and fight?"

I was growing irritated with Will and his selective hearing. He was too caught up with the thought of saving his father to see the strange behavior of the _Dutchman _I noticed. Worst of all, he wasn't even listening to me! At the same time though, this plan of his was tempting. If we did turn and fight, there'd be no reason to think upon the _Dutchman_'s strange actions because we'd be heading _towards _the ship. It would then have no choice but to think about _our _strange actions. Then with the advantage we possessed of outrunning the cursed ship, saving Bootstrap actually sounded possible. Will's plan could potentially work! Even if I did still feel hesitant about the whole thing.

"They're giving up!" Marty called from high up in the rigging somewhere. As the entire crew erupted into applause and excitedly embraced one another, Will and I remained still. His hard stare would not move from my face.

At length, I offered him a small smile. "Of course I'll support you, Will." His face broke out into a smile at my words. He then nodded his thanks and spun around to converse with Jack.

I trailed after him for a moment, my hand sliding along the banister, but did not take a step away from the railing. Will did not need me to help explain his plan. I was only necessary in case Jack wanted proof that someone else though it was a good idea, which I was sure by now Jack knows I'd always stand by Will. More so now that I was just as determined to save Bootstrap from the clutches of Jones. Fortunately for me, Will's plans had a tendency to always work out in the end. He always thought every situation through before acting. This one incident, however, made me feel a bit otherwise. I did not doubt Will thought of other possibilities. I was just troubled over how easily the _Dutchman _halted their pursuit still. Surely that must factor into Will's plan somehow!

Elizabeth seemed to sense something was bothering me because she made her appearance beside me. Her face was merry, yet her eyes held concern. "You don't look too thrilled about the _Flying Dutchman _giving up."

"I know I should be, but I'm not." I shook my head as my eyes trickled back to the once-pursuing ship. "Something just feels off, Elizabeth, and I can't quite figure out what. It's almost like I'm missing something…" My voice trailed off into the realm of the forgotten, and even then my memory was incapable of pulling out an answer. I nervously bit my lip. _Something's not right._

Despite the distance between the two ships, the _Black Pearl _suddenly jarred forward as though a large cannonball had crashed into her stern. Such a force was knocked into the wooden planks that the majority of the crew, including me, harshly fell to the floor. I nearly collapsed on top of Elizabeth! I was not on the ground for long though.

With wide eyes I leapt back onto my feet and peered over the railing. _That bump! _The last time I had been knocked down like that was aboard the _Edinburgh Trader _right before…

I shook my head, too afraid to accept my own conclusion. _No… No, that can't be it. Not twice in one day!_

"We must have hit a reef!" I heard a crewman shout.

"A… reef?" I outwardly questioned myself as Elizabeth looked over the railing beside me. Images of the morning flooded my mind, bringing back memories I swore I'd never touch again. _That_ was what I'd been forgetting, and why I wanted it to remain forgotten.

_Oh God not again!_

My chest tightened and my fingers dug into the banister. With a pounding heart, I looked back at Will. He was the only other person who felt my pain. Shared my fear. Understood our fate. _Knew_ what had been sent upon us.

"No," he breathed as his panicked eyes darted about the ship. "It's not a reef!" His eyes finally found mine, widening after he took in my alarm and positioning. There was a sense of sheer terror lingering in his eyes before he quickly grabbed my shoulders and dragged me from the railing. "Evelyn, what are you doing? You know what's coming for us. Get back!"

I looked up at him, nearly petrified in his arms. The only support he could give me was a comforting squeeze.

Then Elizabeth spun around, a mixture of confusion and anxiety over the unknown shaping her face. When Will took notice of her, he became just as concerned and let go of me to force her back where I stood. The intensity he used to move me, I noticed, was stronger than what he held for Elizabeth. "Get away from the rail!"

"What is it?" She asked the two of us, her eyes darting across both our faces.

"It's the… the…" I tried to answer her, but memories from before came crashing down on me: the tragic death of Captain Bellamy, the continues chiming of a bell, the smell of gunpowder, the helpless screams, near death experiences, splintering wood, useless weapons, floating bodies, helplessness, confusion, terror. _All _of it swarmed my mind at once in a single horrific image.

A shudder crawled down my spine at my memories, but I was not alone. Just as I had done aboard the _Flying Dutchman _before we escaped, Will laid a gentle hand upon my shoulder. The hand of my opposite arm immediately shot up to grasp his.

Only when he felt my fingers wrap around him did he utter the accursed words capable of striking fear into the hearts of all: "The Kraken."


	23. When the Sky Turns Gray

**Only one more chapter to go after this! And it'll probably be a shorter one, but who knows. You know me. I always drag things out, haha! So, as always, we'll see what happens.**

**By the way, if anyone has to have their wisdom teeth removed, make sure to purchase lots of pudding, macaroni and cheese, and bread. They do wonders! Especially the bread because if your power goes off for twenty-two hours and you can't cook anything or open the refrigerator, then it's the only thing you can eat. WELL! That basically described the past week in my life! Immobile and unable to chew food xD**

Dalonega Noquisi: _You can keep the nickname if you like, I don't mind. It's actually pretty cute :3 BESIDES! YOU USED THE WORD "LINGERING!" You know I love that word, haha!_

ToryIsConfusedDotCom: _Why the cliff hanger? Because I'm evil *cue evil laugh that I am literally unable to do* Haha, but seriously. I just wanted to section off the Kraken for himself. He's an important character and deserves his own spotlight ;D I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter though! Also, while looking for a Will/OC story to read, I began scoping out the reviews of a story and saw you mentioned this one! Not going to lie, I got so excited that I nearly fell off my bed. You've officially become my favorite of the day!_

ohnoestadpoles: _Have I told you that your username crakes me up? I love it! And thanks for finding everything so real! I feel special now :) I hope you didn't have to wait too long in front of the screen! The last thing I want to see is a news section titled "Girl Refuses to Move From Computer Until FanFiction Author Updates." Because how would you eat and sleep? O_O BE HEALTHY, MY FRIEND! Haha!_

Kagome Narome: _So I totally had to reread the opening sentence of your review many times because I was laughing so hard. I've NEVER heard someone say "HOLY MOTHER OF ICE CREAM MONKEY BALLS TRUCK!" I was crying! Haha! And then once I thought I calmed down again, you go and almost punch the screen! Man, your reviews make my day. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last one! But try not to punch your computer until after you read it, all right? ;D_

M: _YES! Nah, just kidding. I just wanted to section off the Kraken. BUT PREPARE YOURSELF FOR EMOTIONAL TURMOIL ANYWAYS! Because there are some things coming up and… yeah. By now you know me and my love of complicating things._

Lumos My Heart: _Haha, thanks! You can say whatever you wish! And no problem making Evelyn frightened by the Kraken. I always thought it was weird that Will hadn't expressed much fear over having to face it again, yet at the same time I understood he didn't wish to frighten the men. So I tried bringing those two complications to life. At any rate, I'm glad you're enjoying the story!_

Lmv16: _It's never too late, don't worry! And I don't know if you meant to make your review punny, but my strange mind saw it that way and I laughed really loudly to the point that I made my sister jump. So enjoy that victory, haha!_

Timexgone23: _Oh goodness, are you trying to make me tear up over here? The best Will/OC? I don't know if that's necessarily true, but I'm definitely glad you see my story that way :) We all need a little blacksmith appreciation anyways, haha! And thank you so much for liking Evelyn! A recent review to my first story had me worried that my past writing (which I'm slowly fixing) played her off as flat and not relatable. So it's really relieving that you were able to bear through story number one and witness her development. Also, I'm super bubbly over the fact that you enjoy my detailing and can tell how much time and effort I put into this. It's nice to know others can see that, which I'm sure you understand since you have a Will/OC story (WHICH, might I add, is actually on my to-read list! I feel like I should move it to the top now, haha :D). Anyway, you may ramble all you like! I clearly have a tendency to do that, so I have no problem with others doing it, too. Thanks so much for reviewing, and here's your update!_

**All done! Yay! My apologies, again, for not responding to everyone, but I'm nearing the two page marker. Gah! I write too much! Besides, I'm sure you all just want to start reading this super long chapter (the longest of all the chapters in this story/that I've ever written) and here I am, babbling away in the Author's Note. So without further ado, we have the Kraken part two.**

**I rhymed on purpose. That in itself deserves a review, right? Really the only exception is if you go watch the new **_**Hobbit **_**trailer… Everyone like how I worked that in there? Haha! But seriously, feel free to tell me what you think. If something made you smile or frown. Whether something surprised you, scared you, made you think one way only to have something unexpected happen, question humanity, etc. Type away, my lovely readers!**

**~MisticLight**

**P.S. THIS STORY HAS REACHED ONE HUNDRED FAVORITES! THANK YOU EVERYONE! If I could, I would give you all a hug! But I'll just reward you by shutting up and actually letting you read this super long chapter. Hehheh.**

~.~.~.~.

"To arms!" Will cried as he pushed past me to walk back onto the main deck.

"Load guns! Defend the mast!" Gibbs further commanded. I was already following after Will on the stairs though, so his voice was but an additional shout to the chaotic crashes of my mind.

My hands were shaking. I did _not _want to face the Kraken again. Calling myself a survivor was a miracle in itself; I doubted I would be so fortunate twice. It was not possible, especially since both these incidents were about to occur _on the same day_. Fate and I had never been much of friends, and she probably wouldn't grant me sympathy now. The lack of oxygen filling my chest was evidence enough for that. I couldn't breathe… Couldn't hear! The pounding of my heart was far too strong in my ears for me to comprehend anything. Each _thump_ shaped into an endless chant of death.

_Death. Death. Death. Death._

I shook my head profusely, trying in vain to stop the words. Instead I almost tripped down the final few steps.

_Death. Death. Death. Death._

My hands clamped over my ears as my eyes darted around the ship. _Surely there must be something to rid me of this turmoil! _But there was nothing.

_Death. Death. Death. Death._

All the other crewmembers were bustling about, getting ready for the approach of the Kraken. They were all brave, having never faced the beast before. I was only proving to be a disappointing coward. Even Elizabeth seemed to be more helpful, and she had only just stepped off the stars of the poop deck. At least she wasn't shuddering behind Will with her hands over her ears.

_Death. Death. Death. Death._

I shut my eyes to escape the shame, but horrific images of men being dragged into the depths of the ocean filled the darkness. Why was I so frightened? Because unlike the crew of the _Black Pearl_, I had _lived _the Kraken. I had been on the deck, scrambling around for my life just like all the other men aboard the _Edinburgh Trader._ It was only towards the end of the attack that I found relative safety atop the mast. Not even Will had experienced my terror. I had been in greater danger. _I _was more scarred.

_Death. Death. Death. Death._

"Evelyn!" The exclamation of my name and the grabbing of my wrist left me jolting from my nightmares with a startled scream. I cracked my eyes open only to find the concerned, determined face of Will staring right back at me. His gaze softened. "Evelyn, I need you to remember all you can about the Kraken. Are you comfortable enough to do this for me?"

_No,_ I thought but nodded my cooperation anyway. There was no time to deny Will. We needed a plan and he was normally the one who thought of these things. If he was asking me, then he was probably looking for something only someone positioned on the deck during the Kraken attack would have seen.

"I… I was on the starboard side when it attacked, near the bow next to Captain Bellamy." My voice trembled as I spoke and I flinched at the Captain's name. Will took a breath to say something, most likely to prevent me from continuing since I was so obviously shaken up, but I held up a hand to stop him. I _needed _to do this. "The tentacles quickly ascended over the railing after his death… and everything just sprang into chaos after that. Panic is bound to happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if Jones commanded his pet to move slower upon us in the beginning. There are at least three people he despises aboard this vessel… He'll want to intimidate us and all those who remain loyal."

Although reminiscing was painful, I felt better after offering at least some form of assistance. I had a purpose. The haunting images served as a frightful example for me to relay onto others. Cowering away when I was needed was the last thing I should be doing. Yes, Will and I had survived the Kraken. And because of that the entire crew was now looking to us. Even then Will turned to me for specifics because I had experienced firsthand exactly what everyone else was about to face. My fears were nothing but a distraction from what was required of me. Pushing them to the far corners of my mind was the only option.

Now was the time for my true courage to shine.

Will's eyes darted across the sea behind me. I could almost see the ideas forming within his mind just by looking at his features. When he was finally able to piece something together, his attention fell back to me. "Thank you. And I'm truly sorry for any trouble I may have caused." I was only able to respond with a brief head nod before he withdrew a sword from the weapon bucket beside me. With the blade lifted high into the air, he addressed the crew: "It'll attack to starboard. Evelyn and I have seen it before. Run out the cannons and hold for my signal!"

He then took off with a determined stride towards the opposite railing. I was close on his heels. "Cannons?"

"Yes, we'll need them to fire at the tentacles. The Kraken relies on surprise. It won't be expecting a fight." He looked into the ocean for a moment, his lips forming a straight line when he turned back. "Bubbles are beginning to form. There's only a matter of time before it arrives."

"Right," I nodded without an ounce of terror in my speech. "I'm useless when it comes to cannons, but I do know which weapons we should probably use. I'll take command there."

I turned from him to make my way towards the armory, but Will stalled me by abruptly grabbing my hand. His hold was strong. "Evelyn." He spun me towards him and our eyes instantly locked. Had he not been grasping my hand so securely, the intensity probably would have caused me to fall.

Will remained silent. He simply held my gaze, each second causing his commanding expression to melt into something a bit softer. Affection perhaps, but I could not say for certain. The surrounding chaos was too powerful a force in the back of my mind. So no matter how much I wanted time to stay in this brief moment of comfort, I knew it could not. For the sake of all our lives, I had to be the one to break our trance. "Yes Will?"

"I…" he blinked his eyes numerous times as though coming out of a stupor. His vision traveled everywhere before settling on something behind me. "I need you to look after Elizabeth. You're much stronger than her and I don't know if I'll be able to stay by her side."

"Oh," I breathed. My heart fell a little when I snuck a glance back at the beautiful young woman leaning over the railing. "Of course, Will. I'll keep her safe. I promise." I flashed him a quick smile and turned to leave only to be held back again.

"And Evelyn," he said with a voice full of concern. His grip tightened around my palm as he spoke, yet I did not turn back around to face him. I bit my lip when he sighed. "Stay safe."

I gave his hand a gentle squeeze before finally looking to his eyes once more. A soft smile took hold of my face. "I'll be careful if you are. Fair enough, Mr. Turner?"

Despite the pressing situation, I was actually able to make Will chuckle. It only lasted for a moment, but at least some of his stress was able to disappear. "We have an accord, Miss. Pierce."

After shaking on our "pact," reality made its appearance and we immediately set to work. Will moved to inspect a cannon while I headed for the armory. I grabbed Elizabeth as I passed her, forcing her to follow along. She didn't protest once I explained that I needed her help distributing weapons.

When we neared the armory, the entire doorway was a mess. Men were pushing one another to the side in an attempt to grab whatever weapon they deemed the most valuable. It was a very shameful sight. I understood they were frantic, but there was no reason they couldn't work together like a _crew _ought to.

I sighed before grasping the rigging and hoisting myself onto the railing—I had to appear more authoritative somehow. "Excuse me," I called into hoard of men. Not a single head turned my way. "_Excuse _me!" My second try only provided similar results. I glared at each living soul.

"Hey! Listen up you worthless lot of scurvy scum!" Elizabeth fiercely shouted at them. _That _certainly got their attention. All their shouting cut off in a fraction of a second as they looked to Elizabeth. Their gaze only lifted to me once she did with a smile.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," I beamed with a nod directed at her. I then settled my gaze on those assembled before me. "You're all wasting your precious time by fighting one another for a simple sword. I can assure they're useless against the thick skin of the Kraken. There is not a powerful enough swing to send a blade through the tentacle once its base is on the deck. At the tip you have a better chance of it, but how many of you _really_ want to get that close?"

They all just blinked at me.

"Precisely," I nodded before stepping onto the floorboards. With a raised head I pushed my way to the doorframe. "Since we plan on surprising the Kraken by firing cannons, we only have to make sure the beast doesn't damage the boat before they are fired because a simple strike is powerful enough to bring down an entire mast. I saw it done _twice _just this morning." Some men paled at my words while others anxiously turned towards the main mast.

"What d'you suppose we do then?" A lanky man with fraying clothes asked.

"We're going to protect it, obviously." Elizabeth answered for me with a roll of her eyes. Her face was clear of any scorn when she faced me. "But how are we going to do that, Evelyn? Won't our attacks just agitate the Kraken?"

"Yes, which is why we're going to use these," I smiled as I tossed one man a spear and another a pistol. "With a long ranged weapon we can defend both ourselves and the top of the _Black Pearl_. We can fire these from a distance as opposed to being up close. These weapons are for defending only though. Attacking should occur only if absolutely necessary. Is that understood?"

Rather than receive a solid answer, a call from Gibbs at the railing sent us all into overdrive. "Ye might want to hurry up your speech there, Missy. The Kraken's broken through to the surface!"

"Elizabeth hurry!" I cried, thrusting some weapons into her arms. "Help me pass out the rest of the spears. If we run out, then turn to the hatchets and guns."

She nodded and together we were able to give every man at least some sort of defense. Since we worked together, the job was completed at a much faster pace than what the men's had been. Theirs was chaotic whereas ours held order. I made sure to keep one spear aside for Elizabeth to use. It would hold up the best against the Kraken, especially since I didn't count on too much fighting. If Will's plan worked, then there would be no need to engage in full combat.

I could only hope nothing would go wrong.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as I handed her the weapon. "Will?"

Seeing as that was not my name, I looked over my shoulder only to discover, to my horror, that the first of the Kraken's tentacles had cleared the railing and was in the process of towering over us. Its pace was slow, proving my theory about Jones's cruelty to be true. I couldn't help but wonder how much the Captain was enjoying our supposed soon-to-be demise.

My eyes then turned towards the stairs leading to the gun deck. I noticed Will had gone down there while Elizabeth and I handed out weapons. He did mention that he would tell the crew when to fire, seeing as this was his plan. However, he hadn't replied to Elizabeth's announcement of the Kraken's appearance. Surely by now he had to know it was here.

_But why isn't he responding? Perhaps he doesn't know…_

I grasped Elizabeth's shoulders and forced her back before meeting her wild eyes. "Stay as far from its reach as you can."

She quickly nodded back at me, but I was already sprinting for the stairs. Will's somehow calm voice echoed through the air right as I reached the entrance. _"Steady! Steady."_

"Will! It's here! The Kraken has-" My shouts caught in my throat once I rushed down the stairs because the entirety of the gun deck was shadowed by the Kraken's tentacles as they slithered up the starboard side of the _Pearl_. Each of the large suckers on the arms maneuvered around the cannons with a loud _thump_. It would squeeze through the gun port with ease before being drawn out and replaced by another more massive one. I was so caught up by the sight of being close to the beast that I nearly forgot why I had gone to the gun deck in the first place. I shook my head clear. "The Kraken has gone over the railing."

Will momentarily looked up at me with but a hint of his inner fear shining through. "We know."

"Will," Elizabeth called again from above. Her voice held more panic this time, but not even I attempted to respond. The scene down here was far too tense to draw any unnecessary breath.

"Hold… _Hold_." Will's attempts at making everyone remain calm were _not _working. Every man had a paled face behind his tanned skin, and the building tension was not helping in the slightest. I myself found my hand tightening upon the roped railing, and I wasn't even firing a cannon!

Pintel appeared the most agitated out of everyone, though the terror in his eyes rang just as strong. "I think we've held fire long enough!"

I looked to Will as his eyes surveyed those around him. He was allowing a moment of silence to pass; the final seconds of our relative calmness. Hell would surely ensue once those cannons fired.

A shriek from Elizabeth shattered the stillness: "_Will_!"

"Fire!" He shouted at the crew. Immediately fuses were lit and his command was carried out. One by one the tentacles snapped away from the side of the ship as the loud explosion of the cannons met its skin. Smoke filled the cramped room and large droplets of blood soared through the gun port, splattering across floorboards. The entire ship shook as some of the heavy tentacles smacked onto the main deck above.

I held fast to the rope so as not to fall down the stairs and into Will. Once the shaking stopped and soft moans from the Kraken reached my ears, I look at him. By simply gazing at one another we knew the danger was just beginning. The Kraken had been raised by Davy Jones himself. A few wounds were definitely not enough to send it away.

Cheers erupted from the men as we stumbled onto the deck, yet we did not smile. We couldn't! Not with our silent knowledge of the Kraken. Still, we filed around Elizabeth at the railing to see what damage we inflicted upon the creature. The only thing I was able to see were the last few feet of the Kraken's arms as they slithered back into the ocean. Some of its skin was missing while other portions held only fire to burn away at the now charred areas.

"It'll be back," Will stated matter-of-factly.

I turned towards him. "And are we to stay or fight?"

My question caused creases to form on his brow. Clearly he had no idea which course would be best. In fleeing we held just as much a chance of dying as we did staying aboard the _Pearl_. After scanning Elizabeth's face, he turned to me. I straightened up under his contemplating gaze, taking a deep breath and tapping an anxious hand atop the banister. Precious seconds ticked by before he sighed his decision, "We have to get off the ship."

"So we are to condemn these men to death?" I pushed Elizabeth aside and advanced upon him. Although I desperately wanted to leave, guilt would forever find a place inside me if I so willingly left the inexperienced, daft pirates. It was so unlike Will to just leave them all behind, too. "I will go with you and Elizabeth, William, but you should know I find the action dishonorable."

"I know it is, Evelyn, but what choice do we have? If we leave on a longboat, there is a chance for us to find land as the ship is destroyed. The others may even see us as an example and escape while they can."

_So you don't plan on sacrificing them all, _I thought as I comprehended Will's words with a nod. A smile easily caught the corners of my lips. _I knew you couldn't be so heartless._

"We only have one problem," Elizabeth hesitantly said. My grin fell as I looked at her distressed face. "There's no boats."

Will and I immediately snapped our heads towards the wreckage of the boats. Even the one I helped lower not an hour before lied in ruins. My eyes widened, and it wasn't long before Will and Elizabeth were staring back at me with similar expressions. _This is not good._

"When the Kraken comes back," I said slowly, "it won't fall for our cannon trick again. It's a smart creature and learns easily. On the _Edinburgh Trader_, even, it realized the ship couldn't function without its masts and so swiftly brought them down."

"How did you two survive then?" Elizabeth suddenly asked. "If the masts were destroyed and the deck a living nightmare, how did you both not perish?"

"We were on one of the masts," I explained. "Will had to leap from one falling mast to the still stable one while I frantically dodged around tentacles atop the deck before climbing up. The Kraken snapped our mast at the base only minutes after we reunited. We had to jump into the ocean…"

She appeared thoughtful as I spoke, her eyes narrow in concentration. The only movement she made was crossing her arms once I finished. "Well can't we just go there then? To the mast, I mean. Wait the Kraken out and then swim for land."

"The mast won't support us all, Elizabeth," Will said while shaking his head. He flashed the ghost of a smile. Her plan, although not necessarily a terrible one, was quite amusing because of all the flaws she missed. I was just glad I wasn't the only one to find the whole thing humorous within the ever-hectic situation. "And the Kraken will find us as we swim away. Evelyn and I were just fortunate enough to have the _Dutchman _appear so we could hide aboard her."

I nodded my agreement until I felt something hit my boot. Looking down, I couldn't help but smile at the barrel of gunpowder that had just rolled into me. "Besides, we need to do something a bit bolder now." I snatched up the barrel and proudly held it out. "An _exploding_ statement, if you will." I hoped Will would understand what I was thinking. He was always better at working out the details whereas I could only think of a general outline.

His eyes darted across the gunpowder before lifting to my face. It was almost like he was asking if he could take control of my plan. I agreed with a nod and a soft chuckle. Will briefly smiled back, but fell to a more serious expression before addressing the crew. "Pull the grates! Get all the gunpowder onto the net in the cargo hold!"

He pointed out his instructions as he walked towards the bow, the pirates agreeing with a solid "Aye" before setting to work. Elizabeth followed him, but I decided against following after the pair and instead turned to the crew. I didn't know what Will was going to do during the moments before the Kraken returned—whether it be help the crew, inspect something aboard the ship, or even spend time with Elizabeth—but I didn't quite want to know. We probably had little time before the beast returned, and as many preparations needed to be completed as possible. As long as Will was in my sights during the attack, my mind would be at peace.

So I scrambled back to the gun deck as quickly as my feet could carry me. Men lifted the grates as I passed onto the second level, clearing the way so the net could be lifted onto the main deck. Already some other men had positioned themselves on the lowest level of the ship, catching barrels of gunpowder and neatly placing them onto the net. After tossing my small barrel over the opening, I turned towards a much larger one near the side of the ship with three men already upon it. Even then they were struggling.

I outwardly sighed before wedging myself between Pintel and Ragetti and approaching the men. Without a single word I kicked the barrel onto its rounder side. The three men lifted their heads to glare at me, especially the one whose fingers had been smashed, but I merely shrugged them off. "You may find it easier to _roll _the barrel into the cargo hold instead of carrying it."

One man grumbled a few complaints, but eventually all three of them helped me roll the massive barrel over the edge of the drop off. The poor man who then caught the load immediately fell because of the weight. The barrel had him pinned to the floor, and the few pirates below didn't seem to notice his struggles. So two of the men I worked with immediately dashed to the stairs to help him out. I stayed where I was though, rubbing my hands on my pants in an attempt to massage away the roughness the wooden barrel pressed against them.

"We are short-stocked on gunpowder," a man with a French accent suddenly cried from below. His words caused my hands to freeze, "Six barrel!"

My eyes widened. _The explosion will not nearly be large enough to send the Kraken away now!_

Someone tightly gripped my upper arm shortly after the tricorn hat man announced his horrible news. Following the hand on my arm, I locked eyes with the wild ones of Gibbs. "There's only-"

"Only six kegs of gunpowder, I know! I was standing right beside you!" I exclaimed while forcing his hand away. I began rubbing my temples, "Is there anything else aboard the _Black Pearl _able to detonate on impact?"

"I heard rum is said to be…" Gibbs's thought trailed off as realization hit us both. My arms lowered and I felt a brow rise, knowing very well what we'd have to put into the net. Gibbs understood, too, and he profusely began shaking his head in denial because of it. "No… no, Missy, surely there must be somethin' else we can use."

"I'm sorry, Gibbs." There was no sympathy in my voice for I did not care about what happened to the rum, but I did know the beverage's importance to the pirates. So I placed a supportive hand on his shoulder, though he easily shrugged it off. With wide eyes he looked around the room for someone else that could have a solution. Fortunately for him, Will decided to run down the stairs at that very moment.

Gibbs ran up to try and meet him, but was only able to grab Will's attention after they passed one another. I just walked over beside Will, sighing my frustration of how the man wouldn't just listen to me. "There's only half a dozen kegs of powder!"

"Then load the rum," Will sternly said with only a moment's hesitation. I smiled triumphantly since I had been right. Gibbs's eyes, on the other hand, doubled in size. He looked to Will as though he had uttered the most horrific sentence imaginable, but Will only looked back at Gibbs impassively. I noticed the deck had quieted down because of the commanded. Gibbs wasn't alone with his love of rum.

However, Will and I knew there was little time to waste. So he took off for the second set of stairs leading towards the bottom level. I followed after him, and Gibbs's words traveled behind me. _"Aye, the rum, too!" _He sounded put together, but I could tell he wasn't. The corresponding groans and complaints from the crew displayed their opinion matched his.

I could only roll my eyes at them. We were in a very trying situation in which the outcome would most likely result in our death. There was no time for them to save their precious rum, let alone drink it. If it could explode, then that's what it was going to do: be stacked with the gunpowder and hoisted onto the main deck where it would… somehow… combust.

_How will we ignite the barrels? _I bit my lip in concentration. Only one solution came to mind, but even then I wasn't completely sure. So I ran up closer beside Will before he could reach the stairs. "Will!" He looked back at me instantly, signaling me to continue on. "Do you plan on using a gun to make everything explode?"

"Yes, except I won't be the one firing it. I plan on being lifted with the net so I can tell the crew when it's in place." By now we had reached the stairs. Will trampled down while briefly explaining what he was prepared to do, but my feet stuck to the top few steps. I suddenly regretted ever thinking using explosives would be a brilliant defense against the Kraken.

When my presence was no longer sensed beside him, Will looked back up the stairs with a strange expression. "Evelyn? What's wrong?"

"You'll be _on _the net the whole time?" Only when he nodded his response did my feet find enough life to finish descending down the stairs. I sent him a sharp glare, "Please tell me you don't also plan on catching fire with the barrels."

"I'd prefer not to, but you'll have to be the one to make that so." He turned to a small barrel of rum, picking it up and carrying to the net, which was surprisingly quite full with the corners already lifted into an adequate position. It was impressive how quickly the pirates were working, but I was too struck by Will's offhanded words to truly admire their work. "Go back on deck and find Elizabeth. Together you two can discuss when the barrels should be ignited."

I gaped as I followed him, "Now you want me to go back on deck?"

"It's safer than being with me on the net while I intimidate the Kraken," he shrugged before putting the barrel down. Almost immediately he straightened himself back up because of the secretive plan he'd accidentally released. "Wait, Evelyn, you weren't supposed to-"

"_Intimidate _the Kraken?" I shook my head. "So your _actual_ plan is to threaten one of the fiercest creatures _in the world_ before allowing someone to blow you up? And you didn't want to tell me about it?" I ran a hand down my face with a sigh, "William Turner, are you mad?"

He looked to the floor. With a defeated sigh, he spun his back to me and held onto a strand of the net. "Please, Evelyn, just go back on deck. It's going to get very dangerous down here."

"And you think the deck will be safer once the Kraken shows up?" I laughed. "We both know _that's _not true."

He neither breathed a chuckle nor turned back around to face me. It had become clear to me many times throughout this adventure how much Will strove to protect his friends no matter what the cost, but I failed to grasp just how important _my _safety was for him until he couldn't respond. He wasn't even trying to further persuade me to return to the deck. Perhaps he did deeply, truly care for me.

My chest tightened at the thought of hidden words catching in his throat, constricting even more once I realized just how dear he was to me as well. I couldn't just let him do such a daring action alone! Especially not one that could very well result in his death!

I hesitantly rounded Will so I could face him, taking hold of the net. "I won't leave you."

A very faint smile found him. "That's why I didn't tell you everything. Because I knew you would stay. If anything were to happen to you because of that, anything at all…" A tight expression crossed his face and he looked away, unable to finish his sentence. He didn't need to, though, for me to understand the pain that would find him, the frustration and guilt, because those emotions and more would wash onto me if I did what Will asked.

Softly, I grazed his elbow. Simply feeling my touch turned his eyes back to me. "And you don't think I'd feel the same if I abandoned you now?"

Will didn't reply. He didn't have to. His answer lied within the softness of his eyes. These next few minutes could be the last of our lives, and we were scared beyond anything for one another. We didn't know what wrath the Kraken would bring, or whose souls it would steal. Will didn't want to lose me, and I definitely did not want to lose him. We'd gone through so much together, and I couldn't even picture a world with him no longer in it. If such a future was approaching, then I refused to be there.

I needed William Turner in my life, and I had no fear admitting that to myself, strangely enough. Stranger still was the sudden desire I had to kiss him. Never before had I allowed the feeling to roam amongst my head and heart, yet I could not stop it. I didn't even care that other pirates were around. All my thoughts and emotions were trained on Will.

Looking up at him, there seemed to be something on his mind as well. I didn't know what it was, but judging by how quickly his eyes locked with mine, I assumed it had something to do with me. It was with this thought that I decided to act on my emotions… that I would kiss Will one final time before the Kraken dragged us to our deaths.

I took a deep breath before closing the small distance between us. Will didn't back away. Even when I began to lift my face towards him, he didn't move. Instead I felt his hand on the back of my head, helping me reach him faster. Our lips were mere inches apart when the ship suddenly lurched forward and I ended up colliding into his chest instead of sealing our kiss.

Sheer terror stole away my desire and I jolted back up, frantically scanning the room before turning to Will. "It's here," I whispered.

Almost immediately the sound of wood splintering came from above. Men screamed, feet scrambled, and all sorts of wreckage could be heard. Just as I predicted, the Kraken learned from its mistakes with the cannons and was not about to show mercy upon the weapons now. There was only a matter of time before those vengeful tentacles found the other layers of the ship. The net needed to move, and it had to be now.

"Haul away!" Will shouted so the men on deck could hear his command. In the brief seconds between his call and their response, he hoisted the rest of his body onto the net and looked back at me. "You won't be able to make it onto the deck without the Kraken finding you. Hang onto the bottom of the net, and as soon as we clear the deck, drop onto it."

With a determined eye, I placed my feet onto the rope loops beside him and put my other hand over his. "I'm not going anywhere. If you're going to explode into a million pieces, then I am, too."

Rather than counter me, Will appeared genuinely glad I decided not to do as he said. He widely grinned and nodded at me right before the net began to rise. I held tightly to both his hand and the net as we rose from the cargo hold of the ship to the gun deck. The last thing I wanted was to fall off, especially since I saw a tentacle appear when I looked down. I held my breath as the thick arm searched the room, relieved that it hadn't decided to thrash about because it would have easily found the net and torn it to shreds. My relief, however, fell short once I looked at the surrounding chaos.

The tentacles seemed to be everywhere! They were grabbing men and dragging them through the gun port, forcing backs to break as they did so. Large pieces of wood and entire cannons were flung about the room, striking men before they could escape. A set of stairs was sliced in half by one of the tentacles as men tried to climb to safety. The chips flying from the impact were smaller than the shattered support beams of the ship, but just as sharp. I was unfortunate enough to feel the sting of a good sized piece of wood as it imbedded itself into my right calf.

I bit down hard on my lip to stifle any screams, but I could not hide the pain on my face. Will was quick to notice my suffering, especially since I was also tightly squeezing his hand, but there was little he could do to help me because a tentacle was heading straight for us. I pressed myself closer towards the barrels inside the net, too afraid of what pain would consume me if I moved away like Will had. He launched to the side, his hand somehow able to slip out of my grasp in the process. The tentacle grazed his arm, so he ducked down before the tip could wrap around him and pull him away.

"Evelyn…" I heard him call. There was so much worry in his voice that I almost didn't want to look at the matching face. However, I did, only to find it mixed with slight disgust as he analyzed my calf.

"Take it out," I ordered, already wincing. Except Will didn't do anything. Doubt was now evident in his eyes, nearly making me second guess myself. But the piece of wood wasn't doing any good protruding from my skin! "Will, pull that shard out of my leg this instant!"

He didn't allow another second to tick by before yanking the wreckage from my calf. This time I could not hold back a small yelp, though I did cut it short by harshly biting my lip again. I tasted a bit of blood in my mouth, but that was nothing compared to what I felt dripping on my calf. There probably wasn't a waterfall of blood like my imagination played the wound to be, but there was no way I was going to look down and check for certain.

I felt Will's hand stroke mine, "Are you all right?"

"Never better," I hoarsely said with a forced smile. The pain had lightened, but there was still a significant amount of agony. "How bad is it?"

"It's difficult to say because your pants are so dark," he stated. I felt my face grimace when he tried to get a better look by gently moving my leg around. "I'm sure it's fine. The splinter wasn't too big, but it was large enough to go deeply in your skin. You'll be able to walk, but you should probably tend to it as soon as possible."

I nodded my understanding just as our heads poked through to the main deck. Immediately I sought out what the Kraken was doing, but only mirrored what had occurred aboard the _Edinburgh Trader. _It seemed to be more vicious this time though. Whether that was by the command of Jones or from anger at being fired at, I did not know. It could have very well been both!

"Clear?" Elizabeth shouted from somewhere in the crowed. I tried to follow her voice, but couldn't locate her in all the chaos.

"Higher! Higher!" Will quickly shouted at the crew hoisting up the net. The intensity of his voice made the pain of my calf fade into nothing more than a simple burn upon the skin. It made me realize that if I wanted to survive this, then my attention needed to latch onto the situation at hand. My wound was not a vital concern.

Tentacles grazed the net, but none actually wrapped around the barrels. They were all twisting high up in the rigging. If the explosion was to work, then we needed to be taller. Although we were rising, the process seemed sluggish when compared to the quick movements of the Kraken. I turned my attention towards those making the net rise, meaning to command them to move faster, but finding myself pointing at them instead.

"Will! The mast! The Kraken's about to-"

The men who had diligently kept to their post throughout the attack were forced to leave once a tentacle began to wrap around the mast they worked under. Rather than snap the mast in half, the Kraken opted for barreling down its heavy arm and destroying the source of the levers keeping the net up. The once secure ropes snapped beneath the abrupt force, ultimately causing the net to fall. It all happened so suddenly that I had no time to pull my hand back onto the rope. The ship moaned and creaked as Will and I fell, though it just as easily transformed into an earsplitting _crack _as the safety ropes on the net held to their purpose. Our drop was cut to a jarring stop, the net suddenly snapping in midair. The action was so strong and my grip so weak that my hand simply could not hold onto the rope and I fell. Fortunately the net had angled itself and I fell to the deck instead of the bottom of the ship. Unfortunately, pain now exploded from my left shoulder.

I landed so harshly that air reached my lungs in haggard breaths. Water droplets from passing tentacles dripped onto my face, but I didn't even try to wipe them away. Agony threatened to find me if I moved too much, so I settled for lying on my back and massaging my stiff shoulder. Each press to the muscles caused me to wince. _Two injuries within a quarter of an hour. Does anything else wish to smite me before I die? _As soon as I thought the words, fate decided to let a tentacle hover over me. _Brilliant._

My body tensed when it began to descend upon me. Sucking in a deep breath, I rolled from my position and into the safety of a pile of crates. I felt the pound from the tentacle ricochet through the floorboards, though I cared little for how close it had been to hitting me. My heart was pounding, I was still breathing—although it was now quite painful to do so—and that was all that mattered.

"Evelyn!" I heard Will call from I looked to him, I wasn't entirely sure whether to be relieved or distressed over the fact that he managed to hang on. His anxious face stared back at me; though the worry melted away the longer he traced my expression.

"I'm fine!" I reassured before having to scoot my feet away from another tentacle.

Fortunately he didn't have to see me dodging away from another attack because he had turned his attention towards the surrounding tentacles. "Here! Come on! Come and get me! I'm over here! Come on!"

Will's taunting of the fearsome beast actually caught its attentions. It was almost as if the arms were drawn towards his booming voice and large gestures with the blade. Each of the Kraken's swipes drew closer and closer towards the net. I became so concerned over what would happen that I didn't dare move from my spot. My eyes refused to trail from Will and the net, not even to glance around and make sure I was out of harm's way.

The only moment my vision faltered was when a new tentacle appeared from the ocean, crashing through the railing next to me. Pieces of wood flew towards me, forcing me to duck down and cover my head. When I looked back up, horror rendered me still. The large arm had caught onto the safety ropes, allowing the net to be whipped about the deck… carrying Will along with it. He looped around the tentacle, but the arm retracted before a knot could be made. So for the second time the net began to fall. This time, however, Will was unable to hold on and his body flew back. His sword clattered to the floor in front of my feet, but a body did not follow. I was thankful he managed to hold on as I crawled forward and grabbed his sword, but dread found me again once I saw him using a dagger to cut away at the net.

_His foot is caught!_ I realized with wide eyes, my knuckles tightening around the sword handle. _How is he to get down before the barrels explode? _I was nearly petrified by the thought of Will dying right before my eyes, but a large wave soaking me to the bone prevented me from losing myself. "Will!"

I was able to grab his attention, but only for a short moment before his face matched my alarm. "Evelyn, move!" His eyes jumped from me to something on my right. Following his vision, I was horrified to find yet _another _tentacle twisting towards me.

Seeing as my only weapon was something basically useless against the Kraken's skin, I left the sword to better scramble to my feet and dash towards the stern. The sound of crates breaking shortly resounded after me, proving that had I lingered for just a second longer I would have been tossed into the ocean. The comfort of still living lasted only until I was forced to duck beneath the swing of another tentacle. Water slid off the slimy flesh and onto the back of my neck. They ran down my spine, causing a tickling sensation to erupt. Had the situation been less dire I may have laughed, but since such was far beyond the case, I resorted to stopping the droplets by pressing my back against the mast. My eyes once against lifted towards Will, except this time he was looking beyond where I stood.

"Shoot!" He cried. "Elizabeth, shoot!"

_Elizabeth? _I poked my head out from behind the mast, finding the woman standing directly in front of the Captain's cabin with a rifle held tightly in her hands. Her face was tight with concentration as she aimed at the collection of barrels. So _she _was the one in charge of igniting everything. I felt foolish for not instantly realizing she was the one earlier.

She was hesitating. She didn't want to see Will die any more than I did. Despite that, she seemed a bit off. Her hands clenched and unclenched while her eyes darted across the deck. For a moment it actually looked like she was going to fire the rifle whether Will was clear or not. I didn't want to believe she'd actually kill someone just to free herself from the Kraken, but then her eyes narrowed and her pupils locked on her target.

Elizabeth's pose could have meant anything, but in my current state of mind, I truly thought she was going to kill Will. I would _not _allow her to do that to him. Not when there was still a chance for him to free himself! So I detached myself from the mast and sprinted towards her. My intention was to knock her to the ground before she could fire. Then I would confiscate the weapon and cause the explosion as soon as Will was safe.

That _was _the plan. What actually happened was entirely different. I never got to tackle Elizabeth because a tentacle wrapped around her foot, sending her dropping to the ground. Her hat and the gun flew away from her as a terrified scream burst from her lips.

"Elizabeth!" I shrieked before diving down to catch her wrists. Immediately she clasped her fingers around mine, her nails practically digging into my skin. I ignored the pain to instead concentrate on how exactly I planned on freeing her. The Kraken was dragging us back through the Captain's cabin. Already Elizabeth's waist was past the doorframe!

_The doorframe! _The entryway was narrow enough for me to latch onto it if I spread my legs apart. So that's just what I did, allowing my feet to catch the sides of the door. Pain instantly surged through me from both my calf and shoulders because of my stretched body. My plan was actually working, but things were quickly falling apart. The Kraken was strong and my injuries escalating. I tried my best to hold onto Elizabeth, but even then she slipped from my grasp only seconds after my boots hit the wood. Her continuous screams rose when our hands parted. Despite the pain in my leg, I stood and began to run after her, only to be stopped by none other than Pintel and Ragetti. The latter pirate had an axe in his hands and swung the weapon onto the tentacle holding Elizabeth, chopping off the tip.

Knowing the Kraken no longer had Elizabeth filled me with such relief that I slumped onto the wall with a sigh. My shoulder throbbed, my calf burned, but my friend was safe. The pain was worth the reward. Elizabeth seemed to recognize my troubles, despite not knowing the specific details, and nodded her thanks before scrambling beside me to go back onto the deck. I remained where I was, however. I helped rescue my friend and kept my promise to Will of watching out for her. A minute away from the downpour of the Kraken was the least I could grant myself, even if I could still see some of the tentacles making a mess of the Captain's cabin.

_Kraken. Elizabeth. Will. Explosion. _The words simultaneously entered my brain, drawing forth the memory of Will being stuck to the explosives while Elizabeth was in charge of setting them off. I straightened myself up and spun around to find her, feeling rather foolish for not realizing _why _she had been so quick to go back on deck.

My chest tightened when I couldn't find her, and my breathing all but stopped when I noticed Will still stuck in the net. I took a frantic step forward, only to stumble into the doorframe as the boat rocked. Of course I had to land on my _left _shoulder, but I forced the pain away as I pushed off of the wooden frame. I headed straight for the center of the ship. It may be the most dangerous place at the moment, but it was my best bet of quickly finding Elizabeth. If I didn't locate her soon, there could very well be a casualty I could not bear to live with.

The net violently swayed above me, sending drops of water onto my head whenever it passed over. I spun in place, my eyes darting across every piece of wreckage in my search for Elizabeth. When I finally found her, I was more than surprised to find her sitting at the top of the helm's stairs, clutching the foot of Jack Sparrow while _he _was holding the gun. I was taken aback by the sight. Not only did I fail to understand how the rifle got there, but I also realized this was the first time I'd seen Jack since the Kraken started the attack.

I tilted my head to the side. _Jack Sparrow where have you been?_

His reply to my silent question was taking the rifle and aiming it. Although I knew very well his intended target, I followed the barrel of the gun anyway, praying Will had been successful at cutting himself free so the Kraken could be defeated. My prayers were answered by said man falling on top of me right as I looked in his direction.

My back instantly smacked against the floorboards and Will landed face down directly on my right. Although winded, I kept my eyes trained on the net. The Kraken grabbed hold of it, allowing barrels to topple over the top. For a moment I thought they were going to fall on us, but a gunshot sounded above the moans of the beast. A barrel suddenly burst into flames, quickly spreading to those placed beside it. The bait had been lit.

I quickly spun onto my stomach and covered the top of my head with my arms. Barrels cracked, forcing their contents to spill out and making the fire grow. I could feel the temperature rise before the explosion even erupted. As soon as the deafening blast filled the air, Will pressed himself against my side and draped an arm over my head. I couldn't figure out why he suddenly made himself a shield until I heard multiple _thumps _rain down around us. I felt the vibrations of one land near my hands, causing my fingers to burn seconds later. Fire must have consumed the falling debris.

When the retreating bellow of the Kraken replaced the explosion, I lifted my head. All around burned tentacles withdrew into the ocean, but they were still slinking about in a pained fashion. My eyes turned to Will. "It's still alive."

He slammed his dagger into the deck with frustration. "_Why_ can't we kill it?"

"What if it can't die?" I asked as the Kraken continued to groan. We dealt it a massive wound this time. No doubt it would come back to finish us off. "It's a leviathan of legend. Perhaps we as mere mortals are incapable of bringing about its demise."

"Perhaps," Will shrugged after thinking over my words. He then pushed himself up before extending a hand to assist me to my feet. With the pressure of the Kraken temporarily gone, I was finally aware of just how much my calf hurt. However, I just bit my lip and continued onwards. It would be taken care of eventually, whether that be by death or our escape. "But everything can die, Evelyn. We've just been fortunate enough to avoid it."

I chuckled at him, "'_Fortunate_'? It may be a miracle that we're still breathing, but I wouldn't exactly call it 'fortunate.'"

Will shook his head and laughed, causing me to smile in return. It was strange finding happiness in such a darkened time, yet we probably needed it to remain sane. The past hour or so had been filled with nothing but fear, urgency, and apprehension. We had to take whatever lightness we could find, especially since the next few hours would probably match the stressful ones from before.

"We should see what the others think the best course of action is," he eventually suggested. I nodded my head in agreement and together we crossed to the port side of the ship.

There were not many survivors left. Will, Elizabeth, Jack, and I, of course, had made it through to the end. There was also Gibbs and Marty, who were conversing over something near the railing. Then, emerging from the rubble of the _Pearl_, came Pintel, Ragetti, and Cotton with his parrot. That was it. All the other crewmembers had their corpses either floating in the ocean or hanging over something aboard the ship. Terrifying images of lifeless bodies instantly consumed my mind. If I were to survive this day and had to face the Kraken again, the memories I had of the beast may be enough to kill me before the first tentacle even made an appearance.

Will went straight to railing with me limping behind him. We each peered over the edge, trying to see what traces of the Kraken remained. This time I saw nothing but the clear blue of the ocean, which only made me feel uneasy. Just as before, we had a limited, unknown amount of time to make a decision and carry out our preparations. But I didn't want to dwell on such uncertainty and so focused on the conversation going on around me.

"Captain, orders!" Gibbs shouted as he made his way towards Jack.

The pirate was just making his way down the port-side steps with Elizabeth following right behind him. Although everyone had a sense of melancholy about them, he appeared the most depressed of us all. "Abandon ship. Into the longboat."

"I thought they were all destroyed," I whispered to Will. He pointed towards something to his right.

"Well apparently one survived," he venomously stated. Apparently he had a story in mind of how the boat miraculously endured the attack, and it most likely didn't help Jack's character. I had my own speculations regarding his sudden appearance and the longboat, but I tried to not let it get to me. The fact that he came back, if he so left to begin with, showed his loyalties.

"Jack…" Gibbs's saddened voice dragged my attention out of my imagination, "the _Pearl_."

"She's only a ship, mate." Jack, much to my surprise, said about his precious ship. Out of sympathy I took a few steps towards him, but I never once allowed my hand to lift from the railing. I honestly didn't know what to make of Jack Sparrow anymore. He was constantly a nuisance in my life, nearly getting me killed all the time and what not, but there were moments when he showed his softer side; when he actually helped out and expressed his emotions instead of causing trouble.

Because of the sacrifice he was willing to make and the possibility that he actually came back when he could have escaped made me decide to currently deem him a friend. Perhaps even one of the greatest friends I'd ever had.

"He's right. We have to head for land," Elizabeth said into the stillness. Her eyes traced Jack for a moment, analyzing him as though something caught her attention. She noticed my staring, however, and quickly snapped her head to the ocean.

"It's a lot of open wa'er," Pintel announced.

"That's a lot of wa'er," Ragetti repeated as his false eye moved from side-to-side.

"We have to try," Will said, looking out across the ocean. "We can get away as it takes down the _Pearl_."

I looked towards the nearest landmass, longing to have my boots sink in the sand instead of feeling the wrath of the Kraken. "I would rather risk an attempt at freedom than wait for death to find us."

Will placed a caring hand on my shoulder, drawing my attention back to those on deck. I smiled up at him, though I noticed it caused Elizabeth's face to twist in confusion and Jack to sadly smile. Gibbs was the only other one looking at me, and it was with a renewed purpose gleaming in his eyes.

"Abandon ship," he solemnly declared. "Abandon ship or abandon hope."

Everyone set to work collecting salvageable supplies: parcels of food, canisters of water, and extra guns. I stooped down to pick up an undamaged rifle, but a heavily ringed hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me aside before I could do so. Although the owner was clearly Jack, I was still shocked by his sudden action. As I looked to him, I noticed the depth of sadness in his stare. He never looked so upset before, not even after Isla de Muerta when he thought his crew had abandoned him. Such sadness I expected to be present considering we were leaving his ship, but it was the sense of knowing on his face that had me puzzled.

"Evelyn, I need you to promise me something," he urgently said.

I raised a brow, "Yes?"

"Unless I tell you otherwise, you need to stay with dear William. It is essential for the both of you to finish your little quest _together_ until the end. Savvy?"

"All right…" My eyes narrowed with confusion and my head cocked to the side. "We're going in the longboat with Will though… we'll both be with him until this is all sorted out. So why do I need to promise you that?"

"You'll just have to trust me, love," he winked with a faint smile.

I felt my nose scrunch. "Except you've given me countless reasons _not _to trust you-"

"It's different this time," Jack assured me so quickly that he nearly cut me off. He reached out with both his hands and grabbed my arm as he spoke. Such intensity left me wondering whether the pirate was being serious or going completely mad. When I looked at his face though, all I saw was sincerity. "I can promise you that."

I searched his face for even an ounce of proof that he was losing his mind, but I could find none. His face had hardened into that of stone and his hold on my arm had yet to lose its strength. _Perhaps he means his words after all, _I concluded before finally nodding my head. "Then I trust you, Jack."

The corners of his lips lifted into a smile unbefitting of his still dejected eyes. He must have truly been happy with my words, though, because before I knew it, the pirate had his arms wrapped around me in a strange embrace. My eyes widened from the unexpected gesture and I felt my body stiffen. I'd never hugged Jack before, let alone think about doing so. I became so confused that I couldn't even think of what I should do.

Fortunately I didn't have to do anything because Jack just as quickly ended the embrace and held me back at arm's length. That same smile was still on his face. "That's the Evelyn I know! Making everything simple… unlike Will." Both his tone and expression fell. "Would've spoken with him, too, but he always complicates everything by doing something rash. He's a good man—true to his word—but always forces me to patch things up for him. "

"Wait, Jack, I don't understand," I exclaimed, shrugging his arms off and ignoring his prattling. "What exactly did I do? Is there something you're trying to tell me?"

"I'm not telling you anything more than I normally do," he replied with a wink before spinning me towards what was left of the crew and pushing me in that general direction. "Now give me a few moments alone with me ship, love. I'd like to pay me respects to her, if you don't mind."

"Oh, yes, of course," I nodded despite my puzzlement. I began to do as he said, but stopped myself short, hesitating. It didn't feel right to just leave him alone, even if it was so he could say a final farewell to his most prized possession. When I turned back to tell him though, an impatient expression held his face. I briefly smiled at him. "Goodbye, Jack."

"Goodbye, Evelyn," he smirked, returning to a softer version of his normal self before dismissing me with a wave of his hand and a turn of his back.

Very slowly I walked away from him, not quite sure what was going on in that brain of his. The crew—with the exception of Elizabeth who had yet to move from her spot—was still gathering up supplies for our escape. Only Will, having seen my approach and quite possibly the entire interaction, stopped his work and waited for me by the steps. When I neared, his confused features proved he had witnessed everything. "What was all that about?"

"I don't entirely know… Something about staying with you trusting what he says," I confessed, taking a quick glance back at Jack as he traced the walls with his ship. At length, I shook my head clear and clasped my hands together. "So, are we about ready to cast off?"

"After we pack these supplies into the longboat we will be!"

I nodded before lowering myself onto the ladder. "Then we'd best get started."

Climbing down proved to be a bit more challenging then I cared to admit. Each time my injured calf was left alone on a step, pain surged from my leg. Will assisted me as best he could, though the vertical stairs reduced his helping to mere words of encouragement. About half way down he suggested I try just using my left leg to maneuver down the stairs as opposed to alternating my feet. I did as he suggested, finding the climb far more bearable. My only wish was that we'd thought of this simple idea sooner.

Once I was positioned in the boat, Marty, Cotton with his parrot, and Pintel joined me. Ragetti, Will, and Gibbs kept to the stairs and deck, passing down the supplies so those in the longboat could organize them. I ended up taking charge of the task since the pirates' form of "organization" was simply placing items in random places. It was quite unacceptable. Once I took control, we had the food parcels lined along the port, the containers of water along the starboard, and the weapons neatly piled at the stern. Daggers and swords we kept on our person.

"Prepare to cast off! There's no time to lose!" Gibbs shouted as he lowered himself onto the ladder with the last containers of water. It was perfect timing on his part because I had just finished placing the last rifle in its proper place. I was quite pleased with the layout of the boat as I took a seat towards the bow. "Come on, Will. Step to!"

Gibbs's second proclamation caught my attention. I turned towards the ladder, becoming confused as Will's unreadable expression traced the ocean. He almost appeared heartbroken, yet at the same time surprised and unhampered. I did not know what to make of it. Even when he claimed the spot on my left his face was impossible to read. Something was clearly wrong with him though, so I looked to him with concern.

"Will, are you all right?" I tried to keep my voice as low as possible so as not to attract the ears of the other men. However they were quiet and the boat was small, so my efforts were probably done in vain. Will wasn't answering me anyway. "Will?" Still nothing, though he did direct his gaze at me. "Is something wrong or not?" His lips remained still. "Well now I know something is clearly troubling you!" I paused to see if now he'd say at least _something_, but yet again he stayed silent. I sighed, "It's fine if you don't wish to talk about it now, or ever for that matter. Just know I'll be here for you if ever you decide to." I reassured him with a soft smile, hoping that he _would _eventually speak his mind. I hated seeing him so unhappy, and to have it happen this abruptly made me worry.

Footsteps from above had me looking up the ladder again, finding Elizabeth to be the source of the noise. I silently scooted to the opposite side of the bench so she could sit by her fiancé, but Will pulled me closer towards him before I got too far away. Tilting my head, I waited for some sort of explanation from him, but he didn't even glance at me. Instead, he stood to help Elizabeth down the last few steps before guiding her to the empty spot on the other side of me.

Once she was situated, he leaned against the side of the boat and tightly looked at her. "Where's Jack?" I was more surprised by the anger in his voice than I was of him actually speaking. Never before had I heard him speak so harshly towards Elizabeth, or anyone for that matter. Will was definitely acting strange, though I didn't have time to sort everything out because Elizabeth's answer held far more importance.

"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance," her voice was nearly as cold as Will's, though it held little anger.

She and Will then tensely stared at one another over my head, but I was far too shocked to feel uncomfortable. _Jack would never do something such as this._

Silence filled the air. The majority of those in the longboat, myself included, looked to the deck as though Jack would lean over any minute and dub the entire thing a ruse. He would then make his way into the longboat and we'd all sail away as the Kraken consumed the ship. However, none of that came to pass. He didn't even bother to confirm his own decision of staying.

"I'm going back up," I declared, slamming my hands onto the bench. "Someone needs to talk some sense into that pirate. He may want to give us a chance, but I value his life too much."

I made to stand, but Elizabeth intensely held me back. "No, Evelyn, you can't!"

"And why not?"

"Because…" Her wide, distressed eyes traced my face for a moment before suddenly lighting up. "Because has it not always been honorable for a Captain to go down with his ship? If you value Jack's life so much, then allow him to uphold his dignity."

I let her words wash over, the reality of the situation finally hitting me. Perhaps he actually _was _sacrificing himself. He'd always been a proud pirate. Still, there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was not right. I looked at Elizabeth as a mixture of depression and uncertainty took over. "Except Jack isn't exactly an honorable man."

She sharply turned her head away from me, and after a moment I turned from her, too. When we didn't move, Elizabeth's voice found strength again: "_Go_!"

Marty immediately pushed the longboat away from the _Pearl _while Pintel and Ragetti set to rowing. We remained silent, consumed in our own thoughts. But I didn't want to think. Surprisingly enough, I wanted to swim back to the _Black Pearl _and force Jack to come with us. He may have infuriated me on many occasions, but he was my friend. The thought of leaving him to his death filled me with guilt. Even more so when I realized how much I would actually miss him.

I began twiddling my fingers the longer we rowed since it called for just enough concentration that I wouldn't have to think about Jack and his sacrifice. Occasionally I would glance up at Will, but he was utterly lost in his thoughts, his expression still tense and unreadable. I longed to know what was bothering him just so we could talk it out and he would smile again. Will didn't deserve to be unhappy. He had too good of a heart for it.

Only once was I able to catch his eye, and it was only because I felt _his gaze_ on _me_. I half expected him to look away as soon as our eyes met, but he didn't falter. I was beyond grateful that he hadn't because simply looking at him made the current misfortune of the world disappear. For a moment I felt safe. For just a moment I had peace.

Then Marty had to break our trance. "Look!" He breathlessly said as he pointed to the scene behind us. Although I didn't want to see the Kraken take down the _Pearl_, I felt compelled to turn and watch.

Enormous tentacles crawled all over the ship. None of them had a single scorch mark on them. Therefore these powerful arms had remained hidden beneath the ocean, reserved for a special victorious occasion. If I squinted, I could vaguely make out the mouth of the creature perched upon the railing, but I didn't want to hold the image for long. The only thing I allowed myself to do was silently watch the Kraken as it dragged _Black Pearl _to the depths of the ocean, bringing Captain Jack Sparrow along with it.

I didn't even notice the tear fall from my eye until it trickled down my cheek and dropped into the palm of my hand.


	24. The Heart's Desire

**Well my lovely readers, it appears we have reached the end of this particular story segment. Ah! It's such a strange thought! I can't thank you all enough for all the support! And no worries because I do plan on writing out Evelyn's adventure in the final **_**Pirates **_**movie. I hope you're all ready for some **_**At World's End **_**goodness because I've got some things planned. Heeheehee (take the laugh as you will).**

**Anyway! As of now, I'm planning on calling the final story "Everlasting" (Any thoughts on the title? Suggestions?) and you can expect to see the first chapter posted mid-to-late August. Why a month break? Because I really need to go back and clean up some things from the first story. I reread it and have slapped my head so many times I fear as though I have a red handprint on my forehead. Haha! If you'd like a PM from me stating when the story is posted, just let me know via review or PM. Until then!**

Kagome Narome: _I had a broken leg when this movie came into theatres, but despite that, I nearly walked on up to the screen just to gape at it. Elizabeth's betrayal shocked me, Jack's death shocked me, Barbossa's appearance shocked me, and even Will somehow managed to shock me! My dad merely thought the movie had another two hours to go, haha! And the coincidence of my updating via your mail checking is hilarious! Glad you enjoyed the chapter nonetheless. DON'T THROW YOUR LAPTOP OUT THE WINDOW THOUGH! I mean you can, but I'd suggest you refrain from doing so. Haha!_

ohnoestadpoles: _Oh yes, dramatic flairs are the best! They make life a bit more interesting, haha! Good to know you're keeping yourself healthy! :D Anyway, I agree. Tia Dalma should open a service for Post Traumatic Kraken Disorder (PTKD for short *insert weird hand snap into pointing motion*). It'd probably be quite a useful thing to have in the Caribbean, and Evelyn would probably be her number one patient. Haha! And in answer to your questions: _ will be the Pirate King. Norrington's fate is _. AND JACK IS ALL _. Sorry for the spoilers. Try not to tell too many people ;)_

timexgone23: _I love long reviews, so bring it! I have no idea where all the Will/OC writers are hiding. Perhaps they're simply waiting for us current ones to release our next chapter? Too much anticipation or something? I don't know. But thank you so much for seeing such uplifting developments with Evelyn! I may have said this before, but I'm glad she's able to relate to others despite my past writing. The fact that you can see her as a cannon character just brings the largest grin to my face. Goodness, I don't even know how to describe myself xD Anyway, that final hug between Evelyn and Jack was actually a last minute addition. I was typing, the thought crossed my mind, so I wrote it down. Similar to you, I thought it was a nice sendoff between them. The journey of the next movie is going to be pretty intense, and I promise there's going to be plenty of Will/Evelyn goodness for you to gush over. Haha! Now, in response to your response of mine (this is getting quite complicated xD) I'm sure your story is awesome! Hopefully I'll have some free time to read it once this is completed! So perhaps our roles of writer and reviewer shall be switching shortly._

RenegadeVampireGirl: _Your reaction to this chapter was by far the greatest reaction I have ever read. Shaking, flailing, huffing, punching. Haha! It was all awesome xD Despite the frustration and near tears (which left me looking like this upon reading: O_O), I'm very happy the last chapter brightened your day before work! And I promise if Will and Evelyn are ever locked together in a room together, I'll be sure to dedicate that chapter to you._

Quill-and-ink: _Your review. Oh my goodness, you placed a permanent smile on my face for the entire day! I might have looked crazy to my family, but I didn't care. You truly made my day! I'm glad you find my story different in terms of how Elizabeth is portrayed, as that is what I aimed to do. Similar to you, I noticed how terrible some were writing her and decided to switch it up a bit. But the fact that you find joy in my little story with Evelyn makes me want to explode with happiness! Don't even get me started on the fact that I inspired you. I cannot find the accurate words to describe my emotions on that. I wanted to scream, cheer, cry, and giggle all at once! That sounds a bit strange, but it's true! Haha! I'm greatly looking forward to more of your reviews, and they can be as long as you desire. I love the long ones anyway ;D Also, you may be happy to know that writing is __more__ than a hobby for me because I'm working on it becoming my career! We'll see how it goes, but so far that's the plan. Haha! At any rate, I hope you yourself have a lovely day!_

**I decided to keep my responses as brief as possible so you all can read this last chapter. Before you do though, a big thanks must be given to capricorn66 (AKA my sister) for helping me figure out a few things with this final addition, and allowing me to use her laptop while mine was getting fixed. Although she doesn't read this, I just thought it right to mention her since she assisted me. She writes **_**Young Justice**_** and some **_**X-Men: Evolution **_**stuff, so if anyone is interested, check it out! :)**

**Now finally, you may read! Haha! Enjoy the chapter below (which I'm super hoping you do because stuff goes down), and feel free to write a review (is it bad I want to reach 200 despite the fact that we're 24 away?) (dreaming big, I suppose)!**

**So this is me, temporarily signing off until I release the next story. Happy Reading!**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

Sorrow passed through my soul at the parting of Jack Sparrow. I was rendered still by the reoccurring image of the _Black Pearl_ being taken down as the large tentacles of the Kraken wrapped around her frame. Never had I felt such a mixture of grief and fear before. I wanted to cry out, but could not find the air to do so; to shed tears for my friend, yet no more dared to dampen my eyes. Instead I was left at the mercy of a useless misery where memories haunted my sight and the endless silence toyed with my imagination.

So lost in thought I was that I hardly noticed when our longboat sailed into the Pantano River. The trees forced the darkening sky to shift into an empty nightfall, veiling the stars from sight. Yet the familiar surrounding became a blur. Wondering _why _we were heading for Tia Dalma's shack never even crossed my mind as we sailed in silence. A disruption came only when a remorseful hum stirred the air.

At first the lament was low, a soft ringing in my ears. However, it was enough to pull me from my heavy mind. I listened closely as the sound grew, blinking through the trees as though looking upon the land for the first time. It did not take long for small flickers of light to poke through the darkness. The flames of fire multiplied with each passing second until several spheres lit up the path ahead. As we drew near, each fire grew into the light of a person, tears streaking down every face with the passage of each woeful hum.

Although they spoke not a word, in my heart I knew all they did was for Jack.

Those floating within the river followed as we passed. Their voices never broke pitch and their expression remained just as grim. Such dedication pained me. It brought back the memories I had just escaped from, and I did not wish to fall back into such a bleak state. I tried looking to my friends for comfort, but none was received. All their expressions were as blank and confused as my mind. There were only two who held any difference: Elizabeth and Will.

Although we were all quiet and uncertain of our next path, Elizabeth appeared withdrawn from us. Her eyes never drifted from what lied outside the longboat, avoiding any sort of eye contact. With her body pressed far away from us, she began to make herself appear as small as possible by pushing her shoulders forward. I stared at her with both confusion and concern, but she made no notice of my gaze. So I turned to Will, who kept a firm stare on what lied ahead. His lips were set in a hardened straight line while his eyes took on a harsher tone. If not for his slumped shoulders, I would have thought him angered. He was, obviously, but I sensed the sadness lingering inside him.

My attentions therefore drifted back to the humming. We had just entered a more opened area with even more people wading in the waters with lit candles and soaked cheeks. The surrounding huts each held an enormous display candles, but none could compare with the approaching shack of Tia Dalma. No additional candles rested on her doorstep, making her hut the most dismal of them all. There was no light to distract the gloom.

I took a deep breath in an attempt to shut out the misery of the world. When my eyes began to moisten, I snapped them close. Shedding a tear was a desire of the past, but now I wanted to prove my strength. If I could, I would not allow another tear to trickle down my cheek. _Jack wouldn't want me crying for him._

It was the sudden warmth of my left hand that had me cracking my eyes open again. They fell to Will's hand, which was now folded around my own. My sorrow was immediately driven away, yet even then not all shadows were chased from my soul.

I turned to Will, praying his calming eyes would give me the peace I desired, but all I saw was a pain delving far deeper than my own. Ice froze the warmth once pulsating through me. My hold on his hand tightened in an attempt to retain the heat from slipping away, but his suffering casted a shadow over us. I became wounded. Not because of the comfort I desperately needed, but because I feared what would become of Will if I allowed his dark thoughts to endure.

From beneath his touch, I rotated my hand so my palm rested against his. My thumb drew circles upon his skin, an action I hoped would reassure him he was not alone in this world. Even in our darkest hour, I would remain by his side.

Will's gaze eventually descended upon me, embedding the burden he carried into my mind. Although I still didn't know what it was, I knew Jack's death was only part of the reason. He carried a secret. A secret he had not yet had the chance to tell me even if he wanted to.

Regardless, a sense of affection softened the corners of his eyes. The uplifting action may have been small, but it was enough to make me smile. It was brief and woeful, but it truly was nice to see something besides sadness befall those around me. My own happiness allowed a smile to find Will, though his expression fell into darkness again upon lifting his eyes. Spinning around to see what had taken away the light he managed to find, I was met with the sight of Elizabeth hastily scrambling up the ladder.

I hadn't even realized we docked.

My eyes narrowed after her, confusion finding me. Ever since leaving the _Black Pearl_ she had kept to herself, and now she was the first one to leave the longboat and enter the hut. I didn't understand why she was so desperate to detach herself from all of us. It was especially strange considering she was the only one who had yet to meet Tia Dalma.

_Why so eager to get away? _I wondered, biting my lip in concentration. Her actions were undoubtedly affecting Will, but as to _why_ was still a mystery to me.

As I contemplated everything, the remainder of the crew dragged themselves from the boat. One by one they ascended the ladder, each grim face matching the sorrow of the one from before. Too lost in thought, I did not stir from my seat. Will had to maneuver around me just to leave the longboat, but he did not go to the ladder. I hardly noticed his remaining presence, though, until his assisting hand suddenly emerged in my face.

I was startled form my thoughts, releasing a gasp before shaking my head, "I'm sorry."

Will had no response to the first words uttered within the past few hours. Instead he remained where he was, his face as unwavering as his hand. After a silent moment passed, I gratefully took hold of his arm and allowed him to pull me onto solid ground. I nodded my thanks before striding ahead to lead the way up the ladder.

The grim faces of Gibbs, Pintel, and Ragetti greeted me with a wounded half-smile. Marty was in the process of taking a seat at the far right of the shack. An audible sigh escaped him as he pounded his head back into a beam of wood. The possible pain of it didn't seem to bother him. Cotton stood close by, sadly stroking the head of his parrot. The bird simply nuzzled into his master's palm without so much as a caw.

Although the men were clearly distraught by the loss of their friend and Captain, it was Elizabeth who seemed the most depressed. Her stare was aimed down at the floorboards, allowing her long hair to cover the expression she held. Such immense sadness wafted from her on the left side of the room that I couldn't move from the doorframe. Only when Will lightly touched my back did my head clear enough to take a few steps forward.

Pain immediately shot up my right leg, reminding me of the still untended wound residing in my calf. I was surprised by the sting since I hadn't felt anything during my climb to the top. So either that had reopened my wound or my mind was too clouded to process anything. Whatever the reason was, it certainly wasn't helping my current situation. The only positive I could draw was that aside from being a bit stiff, my once wounded shoulder felt quite fine.

I winced as the pain reached my thigh, but tried to keep my face as calm as possible. My discomfort was not needed in times of sorrow. However, I couldn't prevent my brows from creasing, fists from being formed with my hands, or the habit I had of biting my lip. Will's hands instantly grasped my shoulders at the sudden shift of my expression. It was probably to prevent me from falling, despite the fact that I felt perfectly stable.

At that precise moment, Tia Dalma lifted away a tarp from a back doorway and emerged into the room we occupied. Her face held as much sorrow as all our hearts, but upon noticing Will and I, her eyes lit up.

"I was wondering about you two," she said with a small smile. "None are talking much wit' what happened ta Jack, so your fates were not known ta me. I am pleased they 'ave decided ta spare you both." She crossed the room to us, her long fingers tangled into the folds of her dress. Once she was close enough to see the struggle on my face, her nose scrunched and her eyes softened. "Freedom does not come wit'out a price."

"A piece of wood flew into her calf as we fought the Kraken," Will explained. His voice was a bit hoarse from not speaking for a while, but his words were quick and urgent. "Can you help her?"

"So long as it's not any trouble, that is!" I quickly added as she turned away. "I don't want to deprive you of supplies when I can still walk."

Tia Dalma waved her hand in dismissal, muttering incoherent words under her breath. There was a shelf in the back of the room full of bottles that she began shuffling through. They _clinked _together as her fingers tossed them into one another. When she pushed her way to the back of the shelf, she abruptly squealed with satisfaction and lifted up a small blue bottle. Will and I questionably looked to one another before snapping our heads back to an approaching Tia Dalma. A handful of bandages were now clutched within her hand as well, but my attention lied solely on that blue bottle.

"Drink this," she instructed as she handed me the small vial. I did as she told me immediately, not even bothering to smell the concoction or find some sort of taste. My cheeks flushed as the liquid went down my throat. I felt heat rise within my stomach and travel down to my injured leg. For a moment the muscles in my calf tightened, but the tension quickly faded, taking the pain away with it. I marveled at my leg, but Tia Dalma ignored my curious gaze. Instead she looked to Will, "Find her a seat."

He led me to a bench beside Elizabeth. I shifted as close to her as possible so he could sit, but he did not do so. His stance remained firm with eyes not daring to lift to anything else except me. At first I stared back, despite his eyes never meeting mine. When he remained silent, my gaze tricked from his face to Tia Dalma as she tightly wrapped the bandages around my calf. I expected to feel some sort of sting because of her movements, but instead I only felt the material make contact with my skin. Remarkably there was still no pain.

When the bandages around my calf were set in place with a firm knot, Tia Dalma silently stood, beaming down at me. Sadness colored her face once more, a reminder of why all were assembled here. For a moment she stayed still, but then she began walking towards the back room.

"Thank you," I managed to say, praying she heard me before the tarp door folded shut. Elizabeth immediately jumped the moment she heard my voice. She appeared stunned when her wide eyes fell to me and Will. It was as though she hadn't even realized our presence until I spoke.

She quickly assessed me before looking up to Will, her face freezing. I couldn't detect which sort of emotions she held as she locked eyes with her fiancé, but it definitely wasn't a joyful one. Her breathing became haggard, her fingers drumming against one another. She was clearly distressed, and yet Will did not move to comfort her.

His gaze instead passed back to me with a new apologetic tone before abruptly spinning on his heels and walking to the far side of the room. The soles of his boots hurriedly pounded against the floorboards, leading him to a chair that we wasted no time falling onto. I watched as his elbows met the table in front of him and his hands grabbed the back of his head. A single deep breath was the only sound he made.

My stomach dropped at his disheartening sigh. He needed help, and I wanted to be the one to do it. We were friends who constantly sought comfort and strength from within the other, and he seemed to need me now more than ever.

_But Elizabeth… _I thought, looking away from Will. _Won't she want to console him?_

I turned my gaze onto her. She had returned to the same position she was in before, except now she was shaking and her hair no longer shielded her face. Drops of liquid made a path down her cheeks, displaying the tears she was unable to hold back with her cries. I felt my shoulders drop at the sight of her.

"Elizabeth?" My voice was soft as I gently brushed my fingers against her forearm. Immediately she grabbed me with both her hands and lowered her head onto my sleeve as a disheartening sob took hold of her. Uncertain of what to do, I hesitantly stroked her hair. I felt as though I should say something to her, but the only thing to emerge from my throat was a few soothing shushes. There just wasn't much I could say to her. I didn't know too much about her, and could only guess as to what suddenly triggered her overpowering sadness. In desperation, I looked to those around me for help.

I sought out Will first. He was already staring at Elizabeth, a strange mixture of emotions crossing his face. Grief, anger, sympathy, and frustration all seemed to reside within his expression. Will then took out the dagger his father gave him. He stared at it for a moment, his eyes occasionally darting to me in brief intervals, before suddenly throwing it into the table. The blade stuck into the wood with a _thunk_, but the chips that flew were not enough for him. He dug the dagger back out just to toss it into the table again.

Will and his still troubled soul were not going to be much help.

_Thunk._

Turning to the next person in the room, I met the unblinking eyes of Marty. He clearly didn't know what to do with the scene before him, let alone the surrounding world. Cotton seemed to have a similar mindset as his smaller companion, except his attentions stilled lied with his parrot. They shared a glance before Cotton turned to the floorboard.

There was no sign of understanding from the right side of the room.

_Thunk._

Gibbs's hands were spread across the doorframe as his entire body filled the inside. He was probably one of Jack's closest friends. It was him Jack had Will and I seek out our first time on Tortuga, and he who became the devoted First Mate. The memories flashing through his mind were evident by his faraway look, but the call of Elizabeth was slowly sending him back into our bleak reality. A soft smile was the last sign of his more blissful mind, though it was swiftly shaken away by his head. His eyes darted to all those present in the room, resting on Elizabeth last. Seeing her crumbled form must have been too much for him to bear because he suddenly walked out the door to be alone outside.

Pintel and Ragetti didn't fare much better from their posts on either side of the door. Pintel actually didn't seem fazed by Elizabeth. He never so much as turned to look at her, let alone care about why she was upset. The small tears reflecting under the candle glow probably meant he was too lost in thought to take notice of her. Ragetti, however, would not trail his eyes from Elizabeth. His face seemed to fall more just by looking at her, causing more tears to pour onto his already soaked face.

I looked back to Elizabeth with defeat. _We all need help._

_Thunk._

Just as suddenly as she grabbed my hand, Elizabeth shot into a seated position. She began drying her face, mumbling her thanks through her sleeves. "I'm sorry. I must have lost myself, but I'm fine now." Her quivering voice and forced smile led me to believe she was lying for my benefit. For a moment she chanced a glance at Will, but his motionless reaction had her looking to the floor. Her voice was but a whisper. "I'm fine."

I bit my lip, sliding my gaze back to Will. His attention was locked solely on his dagger and the continuous rhythm of it hitting the table. Nothing else seemed to matter with him. Not even the ceasing of his fiancée's cries… and it was not like him to push her away.

_Thunk._

Something was stirring between Will and Elizabeth, cracking their bond. As to what exactly it was, I could not say. Maybe they were having a disagreement. Or perhaps two separate thoughts were consuming their minds and the other did not know about it. Secrets could even be involved. Either way, both of them were suffering. The addition of Jack's death had only added to their downward spiral.

I just wanted Will to be happy again. Elizabeth was my friend and I cared for her wellbeing, too, but it was Will who troubled me. Where Elizabeth was simply wallowing in grief, Will was more complex. There were other factors plaguing his mind, and at the moment he carried these burdens on his own.

_If only there was some way I could help, _I lightly sighed.

_Thunk._

Tia Dalma reemerged from her back room. A large tray full of beverages was now clasped in her hands, but because of the quiet air, the weight of the tray did not seem to trouble her. It wasn't promising to be greeted by the same silence one left to. For Tia Dalma especially this seemed to be troubling, but her strong posture led away any suspicion of her thoughts from those not looking to her face.

After analyzing the room, she turned to Elizabeth, the closest one to her, and slowly made her way towards her. She stood before the young woman, strong and firm. This was quite a contrast to the distressed woman refusing to look at anyone in the eye for too long. However, Elizabeth did gain enough strength to refuse the beverage offered to her by shaking her head.

Tia Dalma looked neither angered nor offended at the refusal. Instead her eyes shined with sympathy at the forlorn figure of Elizabeth. She nodded her head forward, "Against de cold… and de sorrow."

_Thunk._

Silence befell them both before Elizabeth hesitantly laced her fingers through the handle of a cup. She slid it off the tray, but returned her gaze to the floorboards. The overpowering sadness that took her moments beforehand returned, though this time she remained firm. The struggle of keeping that sorrow at bay, however, was evident on her face. I made to reach for her again, wary of what happened a few minutes ago, but was stopped by Tia Dalma.

She moved to stand before me, slowly shaking her head with a saddened smile. So I retreated my hand, folding it within the other one and biting my lip. "Her thoughts be her own. Only so much can be done ta help," she murmured.

"I just wish I could do more," I whispered after checking to make sure Elizabeth was too lost in thought to process our words. "If only there was a way I could take away her suffering. Then maybe she would bring happiness to-"

"De winds blew you here wit' purpose. Ta question de path they set for you would be defying de sea itself. Do not resist your heart wit' actions against it."

_Thunk._

I blinked up at her. "How do you know what my heart desires? It's a mystery even to me…"

"In time you will understand what it's been saying all along. How much time dat be can only come from you." She flashed a smile, a sense of knowing reflecting in her eyes, and nodded at the drinks. "Free your mind of fear and doubt."

I softly smiled as I took hold of a cup, "Thank you."

With a nod of her head, Tia Dalma crossed the room to Will. Rather than watch her retreating form, my eyes turned to my cup, watching has my fingers toyed with the rim. The memory of my first visit and her words to me then suddenly filled my mind: _"Your path be bound elsewhere. Ta a hum on de horizon, but only you can protect what is already yours… Be careful wit' what you choose. It has de power ta change de winds."_

Although surprised by how clear those words found me, I was more startled with how closely they reflected what she just uttered: winds, decisions, protection. Still, it all made little sense to me. I knew she wanted me to trust my heart… Perhaps to not be afraid of acting on what _I _wanted, thereby trusting myself.

_But what does my heart even want? _I questioned into the swirling dark liquid. For some reason I felt as though I knew the answer, but my mind did not want to accept it.

"The _Pearl _is gone," Will's voice suddenly filled the empty space, "along with its Captain."

_Thunk._

I raised my eyes to the back of his head.

"Aye. And already the world seems a bit less bright." Now it was Gibb's voice that stirred the silence. He was still outside, but the sound of his boots brushing against the floor told me he was making his way back in. "He fooled us all right till the end… but I guess that honest streak finally won out." I slid my gaze to him, finding a cup now clutched in his hand. He looked to all of his with a sense of remorse, regardless of whether we met his eyes or not. After circling the room with his gaze, he lifted the cup so it stood firm before him. "To Jack Sparrow."

"Never another like Captain Jack," Ragetti immediately cried out, even more tears managing to spill out of him.

Pintel raised his cup above his head, "He was a gentleman of fortune, he was."

"He was a good man," Elizabeth choked out.

"And a dear friend," I continued. "He kept faith and granted sympathy when needed."

I chose to describe Jack with what he'd done for me and Will: placing faith that we'd find the compass and allowing Jones to feel sympathetic when we were on his ship. Such memories must have instantly found Will because he immediately spun back to face me. Our eyes locked. Even as we finished he toast to our deceased friend we did not break contact. My eyes brimmed over the edge of the cup as I lifted it to my lips. The liquid I sipped at was sweet and frothy, but I made no reaction to it. I was too focused on the mixture of emotions emerging from Will's face.

It was a small sniff from Elizabeth that diverted our attention away. In unison we turned to her, finding her seemingly untouched drink tightly clutched within her hands. The sadness in her face seemed to have built, yet still she refused to look away from the floorboards. I lightly nudged her with my shoulder, but she did not stir from her trance.

"If there was anything could be done to bring him back…" Will softly said before standing and taking a step towards her. My eyes flicked to him only to retreat away from the intensity now embedded within his stare. I found my chest tightening, though I couldn't explain why I suddenly felt such pain. "Elizabeth."

"Would you do it? Hm?" Tia Dalma's rushed voice had my attention instantly. Her eyes were wide as they stared at Will. When he made no verbal reaction, she turned to Elizabeth. "What would you… Hm?" She made not a sound either, so Tia Dalma spun her vision to the rest of us. "What would any of you be willing ta do, hm? Would you sail ta de ends of de Earth and beyond ta fetch back _witty Jack_ and him precious _Pearl_?"

Silence was her answer. A silence I filled by staring at her through narrowed eyes. _It's not possible to bring a man back from the dead… is it?_

Her gaze fell to me as soon as the question entered my mind. With raised brows and eyes shining with purpose, Tia Dalma lifted her head as though answering my question. I nearly dropped my drink at her reaction, but was able to keep hold of the handless cup.

At length, I heard someone take a defiant step forward. "Aye."

It was Gibbs, and the voices of Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton by means of his parrot, and Marty quickly followed with their unwavering response of "Aye." I heard the creaks of the floor as each man stood and the slosh of liquid as their cups lifted into the air, but I kept my attentions trained on Tia Dalma. With each addition the smile on her face grew until her lips nearly spread across her cheeks. Then she eyes fell to me again, curiosity entering her face. I stood beneath her gaze, knowing my answer the moment her question was offered. "Aye."

I did not raise my glass with the others. Instead, my eyes trickled from Tia Dalma back to Will, who was already facing me with a sense of devotion. Elizabeth's muffled "Yes" passed over our heads, signaling to Will that now it was time for him to answer. He did so by nodding his head without looking away. "Aye."

"All right," Tia Dalma replied in a breathless excitement. Will and I both slid our vision to her, every so often taking a quick glance at one another. "But if you go and brave de weird and _haunted_ shores at world's end, then… you will need a Captain who knows those waters."

She came towards me and Elizabeth as she finished her sentence, but I became far too curious about what was going on _beyond _her. I heard rustling coming from the second story of her house, which initially drew my attention there, but it was the sound of heavy footsteps slowly pounding down the steps that had me crossing the room to see what was happening. At first I could only see dusty black boots descending towards us as I stood beside Will. When the noise grew, I felt the rest of the crew crowd around. Elizabeth was suddenly at my side, but neither of us turned a head in greeting. All eyes were locked on the boots of the mysterious person.

The ground shook. Candles rattled. My breath quickened. Anticipation filled the air. _Who does Tia Dalma trust with the task of leading a crew to fetch Jack?_ When the answer to my question finally emerged, my cup slipped through my fingers and clattered onto the floor. The familiar feathered hat and tousled auburn hair had my eyes widening and heart nearly coming to a stop.

"So tell me, what's become of my ship?" Hector Barbossa, former cursed pirate Captain of the _Black Pearl_ who nearly had all of us killed, asked. His humored blue eyes sized us all up as that blasted monkey leapt onto his left shoulder. He bit into a green apple, allowing the juice to flow down his beard before maniacally chortling.

_What sort of madness have we gotten ourselves into this time?_

~.~.~.~.

The return of Barbossa created a slight setback. Rather than make plans on how to reach the end of the world, we began arguing over whether Barbossa should even be allowed to be our Captain! Elizabeth, Will, Gibbs, and I were completely against the notion. Just because he had been reborn did not erase his previous sins. He had still hunted us, locked us up, wounded us, and tried to have us murdered. If we didn't trust the man, then how were we to have him become our Captain? Marty was indifferent to the matter. Although he had a similar distrust towards Barbossa, he wanted to rescue Jack more and was willing to overcome the flaws. No one was able to understand Cotton's views, unfortunately, because his parrot made little sense. The man may have been able to nod and shake his head, but he became far too flustered with the bird to even answer us. So we allowed him to deal with his pet while those able to talk argued on. Pintel and Ragetti welcomed their former Captain with a hesitant excitement. They along with Tia Dalma firmly stood by the decision of letting Barbossa become Captain. It was believed by them that he was the only man mad enough to take on the challenge of rescuing Jack. Although those against Barbossa agreed with such a statement, we were still not keen on the idea of him joining.

A decision was reached once Tia Dalma presented the motion that Barbossa, having returned from the dead, knew the proper way to sail back there. No one could counter that detail. So we were forced to accept his leadership, whether we respected the man or not. Barbossa didn't care much for our feelings towards him anyway.

The conclusion had a strange effect on Will. Although he grudgingly welcomed the terms, he was filled with such anger that he stormed out the back door of Tia Dalma's shack. I immediately made to go after him, but Elizabeth proved to be the quicker and reached the door before me. I still could have joined them, but thought Will would rather be left alone to converse with his fiancée. So reluctantly I returned to the seat I had occupied for the majority of the night, only to have Elizabeth emerge through the door a few minutes later. She slammed the door behind her, a fresh set of tears shining upon her face in the candlelight.

"He won't speak to me!" She cried upon sitting down. Her breathless voice was filled with pain, her expression frozen with shock. "I know he's angry, and I fear as to why that is…"

For a moment I sensed a flash of guilt cross her face, but it was gone as soon as I blinked. Shaking my head, I gently patted her arm. "Try not to worry too much. He's probably just processing everything." Although mentally I rebelled against my own words, I forced out a smile. "I may have never seen him this quiet before—not even on the _Dutchman_!—but he hasn't seen a friend die prior to today. Just give him some time alone."

"… Or perhaps _you _could speak with him?"

"Me?" I was taken aback by her suggestion, but she ignored my reaction completely and began drying her face with her sleeves. A smile emerged from beneath the fabrics.

"You're his closest friend, Evelyn. Both of you have been through so much together… even more than what Will and I have." Although she visibly looked wounded by her admittance and her voice softened, she retained her small smile. "We both know something about Barbossa upset him," _Or something beyond Barbossa did, _"and if he won't tell me, then I know he'll at least tell you."

"Elizabeth, I-" I was going to protest. Even though Elizabeth herself suggested I speak with Will, the very thing I wanted to do, I was about to object. Why? For courteous reasons? Because I thought Elizabeth was the only person able to get through to him? Because she was the fiancée whereas I was simply a friend? All those questions described my thinking, but I wanted to… _needed _to help Will. The least I could do was grant myself this one wish. In the end it could prove to be beneficial to both of us.

I stood without hesitation, my eyes locking on the door Elizabeth had just slammed. "I will speak with him."

"Thank you," I heard her quietly reply. Her voice was sincere and I felt her gaze upon me, but I dared not look away. My mind was set and I was afraid it would change if I turned from the door.

I took a deep breath and walked forward, pushing the back door open as soon as I reached it. The old hinges creaked at my entrance, but the figure I now saw of Will did not flinch. He was leaning against the rotted railing, his arms folded over his chest. Even from my stance in the doorway I could feel his agony.

"Will?" His only response was the lift of his eyes. I thought perhaps he was glad to see me, but it was difficult to say because of his nearly stoic expression. "I know you're upset. I can see it in your eyes." In an attempt to hide his emotion-filled eyes, he turned his back to me. I sighed, shutting the door behind me before slowly walking towards him. "Elizabeth sent me… though I planned to come on my own. Actually, I would've been here sooner, but thought you'd prefer some privacy with your fiancée." I reached the railing, but not even my presence was enough to make him face me again. "Was I wrong to let her see you?"

"Being alone with Elizabeth is the last thing I want," he murmured, shocking me greatly. His voice was strangely soft when he replied. I could not detect any bitterness.

"Do you wish to be alone, then? Because I can leave if you-"

"No!" His eyes instantly flashed to me in a panic. "I want you to stay with me."

Instead of feeling flattered by his comment, I was filled with confusion. "Why? Elizabeth's clearly in need of comfort. The events of today have shaken her. You saw that with your own eyes inside only an hour before! Jack's death-" Words caught in my throat once I realized how calmly I was about to address the death of Jack. He deserved more than that. A cough had my voice quieting with respect. "Jack's death certainly had its effect on her."

"It affected us all in different ways," Will said before lowering his shaking head into his hands. His eyes traced what lied below us, his chest sighing. "It was the moments before his death that linger on."

My stomach tightened. _Does he mean our near kiss?_

I suddenly lacked the courage to look at him and swiftly turned away. "I'm sorry, Will. I never should have-"

"_You're _sorry? Evelyn, you held no part in it." His face was twisted with a soft confusion when I finally turned back to him. My own brows creased with a similar emotion.

"What are you referring to?"

Will stared at me for a long moment, his brown eyes clouded. With an intake of breath he looked as though he would answer, but all he exhaled was a sigh. No words fell from his lips and he retreated his gaze to the railing. Pity found me, giving me enough courage to step closer to him and put my hand atop his. "Earlier today I told you I'd always be here if ever you wished to speak your mind… And I mean to uphold that promise. Not just for this current trouble of yours, but for any daring to cross you in the future. I hate seeing you hurt this much… I care for, Will."

My reassurance was completed with a gentle squeeze to his hand and a soft smile he did not see. Whatever had bothered throughout the day clearly still stung him. Just as I thought, none of this was about Barbossa becoming Captain… it was about Elizabeth.

With a heavy heart, I decided to make my leave because Will wasn't ready to tell me his burden yet. My fingers slipped off his hand with every step, but just as the final fingertip left his skin, my entire hand was suddenly held back. I snapped my head around. He had yet to turn towards me, but the intensity gripping my hand was enough to keep me still. I tightened my hold as well, a silent message that I would wait for however long he needed.

"Elizabeth loves Jack."

Will's words were too rushed and unexpected for me to process. "What?"

"I saw them kissing, Evelyn," he whispered. The hurt in his voice stilled my heart. "They didn't mean for me to see, but I did right before climbing into the longboat. There was passion… far more than any Elizabeth and I ever had."

"This… this isn't possible." My grip lessened, but his remained just as firm.

"I cannot deny what I saw." His pained voice trailed into the night sky. My thoughts ran after it, returning with memories of him and Elizabeth… which changed into memories of just me and him. They lingered on the events of the _Flying Dutchman_, where everything seemed to change for us. The protection and courage we gave each other, and the secrets we were forced to keep from the crewmembers.

The kiss we shared so I would be spared a cruel punishment.

I drew my arms across my chest at the memory. "What if she kissed Jack to survive?"

Will instantly snapped his head to me and he took a step closer. "Are you defending her?"

"I don't know," I admitted, looking everywhere but at his face. "I suppose I just don't want you jumping to any conclusions because we, too, have kissed. More than once. And all of it was for our survival."

A lengthy silence descended upon us before Will found the proper words to respond with: "Not all of them were, though."

My heart stopped and I turned my wide eyes onto him. I wasn't expecting him to say that.

"None of them may have been." His guilt-ridden eyes traced an invisible line above my head before finally lowering onto my face, "The passion I saw between Jack and Elizabeth angered me, but I found my thoughts trailing to you."

The frozen heart I once had started to heavily pound. I was breathless. "But I thought…"

"Everything I said to you after our last kiss is true, but don't think I did it to fill the emptiness I felt that night. You mean a great deal more to me than that."

His confession stunned me. "Then why did you say words to make me feel otherwise?"

"Because I needed to hear them." We locked eyes, but so much emotion poured from his brown irises that he swiftly turned away. I could only wonder at what he saw reflecting in my blue eyes. "While I kissed you in front of my father, I felt passion exceeding anything I had with Elizabeth… going beyond even what I saw within her and Jack. It was only afterwards that the guilt of my betrayal found me. Yet instead of voicing my thoughts, I said whatever it took to remove my discomfort. But that only unsettled my mind more because it resulted in pushing you away with a promise I wanted to remove the moment I made it. I did not mean to hurt you."

I didn't know what to say to him. Part of me wanted to believe him while the other thought he was simply saying this confession because he caught is fiancée in the act of treachery. So I remained silent, waiting for what Will had in store of me next.

"Elizabeth and I have both done wrong in our engagement, and I doubt either one of us regrets our fault," he eventually said, shaking his head. "I could be on my own without my doubts though."

"You are not alone, Will." My hand lifted to his cheek. "We both contributed despite knowing the other was promised to someone else, never mind the fact that my ties with Whitaker fell the day after. The same passion and proceeding guilt also found me, as did the feeling of not regretting anything."

"But I am the only one at fault." Will insisted, leaning into my hand with a heavy sigh. "I took you by surprise whereas Elizabeth and Jack came together on their own. They share the burden, I carry ours."

My eyes traced his face, attempting to find something within his expression that would allow me to make him feel otherwise. I found nothing but a torn man. A sense of hopelessness consumed my thoughts, so I turned to my heart. An old desire erupted through my veins and before I knew what I was doing, I had my lips pressed against his.

I was probably about as shocked as he was, but all at once we seemed to relax into one another. My hand moved from his cheek to the nape of his neck while the other pressed against his chest. I felt his hands envelope me, one across my back and the other through my hair, pushing me closer. Each movement caused his fingers to become more tangled within my hair, and had me breathing deeper. My chest swelled into his. I was standing on the tip of my toes just so I could reach more of him, but that's when I lightly pulled away. Not because I necessarily wanted to, but because I knew his mind was still conflicted.

"Now we're both at fault," I managed to say between breaths. My smiling lips hovered only inches from his, while our noses rested against one another.

Rather than laugh or smile at my comment, Will did something entirely different. Slowly, almost hesitantly, I felt his lips softly meet mine again. My heartbeat quickened, but I didn't let that prevent me from kissing him back. As soon as I did, everything about our kiss changed. What once was calm became more intense. His fingers slid down my back until they reached waist. The touch was new to me, but I wanted it to remain so desperately that I allowed my hands to roam onto his chest.

He took a step closer. I respond by propelling my feet backwards, dragging him with me by the collar of his shirt until my back unexpectedly smacked against the wall of the shack. A gasp escaped through my parted lips, but that only allowed the taste of him to fall onto my tongue. Neither of our mouths closed much after that. Instead I pressed myself more into him by wrapping one of my legs around his. Will's hand instantly fell to my thigh, lifting my leg higher and somehow managing to shorten the distance between us in the process. My hips were practically touching his.

His lips trailed away from mine, descending down my jaw and onto my neck. Each kiss sent a wave of pleasure to my heart. I was left gasping at this new sensation, my mouth yet again unable to close. My hand traveled to the back of his head, tangling within his loose hair in a silent plea to continue. I even straightened myself further into him in anticipation, which left him having to readjust his hand higher on my thigh. I craved more with each caress of his lips upon my neck, but a desire to see his face again held me.

At length my hands moved to his jaw, lightly pushing his head away. Confusion riddled Will's eyes when they first met mine, but the emotion faded as soon as I gently pressed my forehead against his. I shut my eyes when he smiled because a single tear managed to roll down my cheek. The lightening image of him grinning piled on top of my growing guilt for kissing him and Jack's death was too much for me. I wanted to stay with Will, but the discouraging thought of needing to walk away twisted my heart.

Lips suddenly brushed against my cheek, kissing away the tear that had formed. Unfortunately Will's compassion only caused more to trickle down my face. The hand on my waist traveled to the back of my neck, guiding me into a kiss much softer than the ones preceding it. My lips lifted into a smile despite the dampness of my face. With small cry my hands moved to the back of his neck, deepening our kiss. My head managed to fall back into the wall. I didn't even know it was possible for two people to press themselves closer together until-

The back door suddenly flew open and the unmistakable gruff voice of Barbossa barked out: "Turner!"

Will and I parted instantly, but the new Captain had already seen. And that was before he witnessed my leg uncomfortably drop back to the floor.

"They say you're the best when it comes to strategies," the Captain continued. His cold stare flitted between the two of us when no response was given. "I'll be needing your help figuring out the _finer _details of my plan."

No one moved. I couldn't even breathe! Only my eyes remained active, but they only darted between Barbossa, Will, and thatched roof. I felt the heat of embarrassment upon my cheeks as I brushed away my tears. This was even worse than when Jack saw Will and I's first kiss.

The impatient crossing of Barbossa's arm seemed to snap Will back into at least some of his senses. The discomfort left his features and his attention fell back to me. "Evelyn-"

"_Turner!_" Barbossa warned. His face transformed into a scowl that left me mentally shaking, and I wasn't even the one his insistency was directed at!

Will and I shared a final glance before he nodded his farewell and walked inside. Barbossa lingered for a moment to trace my figure with his eyes. After taking in my face, he made his exit by humorously sneering at me and slamming the door behind him. I was on my own. Breathless, heart pounding, cheeks flushed, warm skinned, blood frozen, tingling neck, damp eyes, and completely alone.

_What did I just do? _I thought, pushing from the wall with a frustrated sigh. Distressed fingers ran through my hair and tears threatened to fall as I approached the railing. My elbows slumped onto the banister, dragging my head along with it.

I had kissed Will. Again. Without there being any nearby threat. Again. Which only complicated everything. Again. And we had been caught. … Again.

The first kissed had, for the most part, been to stop Will from placing such a heavy burden upon himself. But the second one? Third, fourth, and so on? Those were different. A longing I was so used to holding back suddenly exploded and I couldn't seem to stop myself… because I _wanted _to kiss him.

_Did he want to kiss me, too?_

I'm assuming he did based on both his confession and particular actions, but I didn't understand _why _he would want to. I was Evelyn, not Elizabeth. I was not born into nobility or graced with beauty. My parents had merely been well-off as they raised their average daughter. I was not doted upon by many. The only suitor I ever had was Whitaker, and that relationship was simply a settlement that ended in disaster. Elizabeth may have been in need of rescue when I first met her, but she was a quick on her feet. She had a strong mind and had used it many times to her advantage. Compared to her, I was merely someone who wanted a bit of excitement in her life before coping with society and settling down. There was nothing special about me…

_Loyalty… I suppose I have that. _My opinions had always been strong; it was finding those who shared similar beliefs that proved to be difficult. Somehow I managed to do so, and not once had I ever betrayed those dear to me. Even with Will and all the trying situations we found ourselves in, I had remained true. I was by his side, supporting his opinions even if it meant going against a small view I held.

Trust stayed close to loyalty. It was what had to be accomplished before faithfulness was tested. If there was no trust in the world, then there would be no loyalty.

Friendship. Above all else I cherished my friendships. I tried to keep on good terms with as many people as possible, though sometimes such did not always turn out that way. Whitaker and Davy Jones were prime examples of people who probably wouldn't consider me a friend. Regardless, I knew the bond I held with Will was strong. It grew with each passing day. He and Elizabeth may have been friends for ten or so years, nearly a decade longer than I had been friends with him, but there was so much we had experienced together. There were secrets only I knew and habits I instantly understood. Sometimes it felt like I'd known him since birth.

The gift of happiness. Although before I thought only Elizabeth could make Will happy, I now realized that I could, too, by saying the simplest of things. When one of us needed comfort, we approached the other. His smile and laughter were so familiar to me that I couldn't help but feel joy when he did. Whenever he carried a burden though, I felt it and tried everything in my power to chase it away. Not so I would be liberated, but so Will could smile with a cleared head. He was the last person in this world who should ever feel upset. He deserved a continuous joy.

And Love? How strange it was for such strength to lie within so small a word. There were complex layers to it, and in terms of Will, Elizabeth was already deeply inside. She was protected by it, and rightly so. I couldn't even begin to figure out where my place was!

I may care deeply for Will, and knew he in turn cared for me, but he was engaged to Elizabeth. Despite seeing his fiancée kiss Jack and assuming it meant love, he never accused her. Elizabeth was currently drowning in her guilt, yet Will hadn't called off their wedding. Perhaps even after all the pain she caused him this day, he was able to look past it because in the end, all he wanted to do was marry her.

But was it for love… or loyalty?

I looked to the stars, hopelessly shaking my head and wiping away at the stray tears that fell as I contemplated my worth. Will's heart was a mystery to me. I could not tell where it lied, but there was a clear realization in my head that I was certain of:

_I am in love with William Turner._


End file.
